Data services. Data-processing services. Data collection and collation services. Data analysis services. Data transmission services. The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) wishes to commission a service from an external supplier. This service is required to provide the authoring of queries and extraction of data from primary care systems to support the existing Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) pilot process and the annual National Diabetic Audit. Additionally in 2012, there will be a non-recurrent national Dementia and Anti- Psychotic Drug national undertaken; the data collection for this will be made in March 2012.
Health Protection Service (HPS) surveillance programmes, including the Flu and Pneumococcal surveillance, are currently managed directly by the HPS. It is possible that the responsibility for these will move to NHS IC during 2012/13 or 2013/14.
This document outlines the requirements to develop the service, indicative timelines, budget and requested proposal formats from suppliers.
The HSCIC is recognised as England's central, authoritative source of health and social care information. The Health and Social Care Bill indicates that the NHS IC has lead responsibility for central aggregated data collections, ensuring provision of data to other information intermediaries and meeting the requirements of the Government’s policies on transparency and public data.
The current technology used to extract data from multiple primary care practice based systems is the MiQuest (Morbidity Information Query and Export Syntax) query authoring tool. The current service allows for the authoring of MiQuest interpreter queries and extraction of data. Additionally through the CHART (Care and NHS IC Data Quality Assurance) software users can be provided with the ability to display the extracted data graphically, in tabular format or within dashboards allowing further analysis to be undertaken. Data is currently provided to the NHS IC using these tools, allowing it to provide a brokerage service between the current supplier and the end customer, and supporting the various outcomes, and audit programmes listed above.
It is expected that support for further outcome frameworks currently under development, such as the Commissioning Outcomes Framework, will be required in future years.
It is also anticipated that further national audits will be introduced for piloting over the next two years, these may include audits for fractures and falls audit and obstructive pulmonary disease.
A MiQuest query authoring service is required from 1.4.2012 that will immediately be able to support the QOF pilot process, National Diabetic Audit and have the capacity to support other identified monitoring programmes as they are confirmed.
It is intended that the NHS IC GP Extraction Service (GPES) will replace the MiQuest authoring service once it is fully operational in 2013/14. It is, therefore, anticipated that the MiQuest authoring service will be required for a period of two years from 1st April 2012 to provide appropriate cover with an option to extend for a further 12 months if required.
The proposal has therefore been split into two stages. Stage 1 covers 2012/13 and 2013/14. During 2013/14, and assuming the preferred supplier has performed the required tasks within stage 1 to the highest standard possible, and subject to business need and funding, the preferred supplier may be required to provide on-going support for the MiQuest query authoring service during 2014/15.