FOI 2025/1257

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding wound care services and related data collected by your Integrated Care Board (ICB).

1. Wound Care Data Collection

a. Does your ICB collect or receive data on wound care, particularly for chronic wounds (e.g. leg ulcers, pressure ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers)?

b. If not, are there plans to do so within the next 12months?

c. What specific data points are collected (e.g. wound type, healing time, product usage, care setting, clinical outcomes)?

d. How is this data collected (e.g. electronic patient records, community health systems, audits)?

e. Is data collection standardised across providers within your ICB footprint?

2. Data Usage and Sharing

a. For what purposes is wound care data used (e.g. commissioning, performance management, service planning)?

b. Is this data shared outside your organisation (e.g. NHS England, research bodies, suppliers)? If yes, under what governance or agreements?

3. Technology and Digital Systems

a. What digital systems or platforms are currently used for recording and managing wound care data (e.g. EMIS, SystmOne, bespoke solutions)?

b. Are there any current or upcoming digital transformation initiatives focused on wound care?

4. Spend and Commissioning

a. Does your ICB hold data on spend related to wound care (e.g. dressings, devices, service delivery)?

b. Are wound care services commissioned centrally by the ICB or delegated to Place or provider level?

NHS Greater Manchester (NHS GM) was formed on the 1 July 2022 following the merger of the 10 former Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) of Greater Manchester (being NHS Bolton CCG, NHS Bury CCG, NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale CCG, NHS Manchester CCG, NHS Oldham CCG, NHS Salford CCG, NHS Stockport CCG, NHS Tameside and Glossop CCG, NHS Trafford CCG and NHS Wigan Borough CCG), plus Greater Manchester Shared Services (GMSS, previously hosted by the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust) and Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership.

1. Wound Care Data Collection

a. NHS GM does not collect or receive condition or patient specific information for wound care. However, some localities within Greater Manchester (GM) use prescription data available via ePACT and Total Purchase Systems.

b. No.

c. Prescriber plus Code, British National Formulary (BNF) Chapter, BNF Product, Quantity, Items, Actual Cost, Product usage, potentially care setting if specifically relevant to product usage.

d. NHS Business Services Authority, ePACT2 prescription data and via dedicated total purchase system IT ordering platform (HALO) audits, potentially audits of individual GP clinical systems such as EMIS (this is decided ad-hoc and not standardised).

e. No.

2. Data Usage and Sharing

a.  To ensure prescribing is in line with the agreed formulary and within clinical remits, prescribing data is used for the purpose of peer review of prescribing, identification of areas for improvement e.g. opportunities for efficiencies and prescribing outside of guidance, service planning, commissioning, performance management and formulary adherence. Lead nurse reviews formulary adherence / NMP prescribing (e.g. newly qualified)

b. Within some of the GM localities Total purchase system stock ordering information is collected and shared via Supplier (North West Ostomy Service) and IT platform (HALO – Hartmann ltd). This is under an agreed contract in line with a dedicated service level agreement (SLA). All of which included a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA). Some also share prescribing data in line with the response to question 2.a. above, with District Nursing and Tissue Viability Nursing teams.

3. Technology and Digital Systems

a. Clinical teams and GPs will use systems like EMIS and System One, but NHS GM does not use these systems.

b. No

4. Spend and Commissioning

a. Yes. NHS GM collects some data in respect of the cost of certain wound care services directly commissioned

b. As explained above, NHS GM was formed on 1st July 2022 following the merger of the 10 predecessor CCGs in Greater Manchester. Consequently, a range of commissioning arrangements exist, and continue to develop. In respect of wound care, each locality within GM adopts its own approach. In some instances, this relates to locally commissioned arrangements, and in others the service is provided through providers.