The Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) programme is an

NHS England NHS England, officially the NHS Commissioning Board, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care. It oversees the budget, planning, delivery and day-to-day operation of the commissioning side of the ...

initiative to achieve

digital transformation Digital transformation is the adoption of digital technology by an organization to digitize non-digital products, services or operations. The goal for its implementation is to increase value through innovation, invention, customer experience or ef ...

in selected exemplar organisations and to create a knowledge sharing ecosystem to spread learning from these exemplars. The programme is to enable "digitally advanced" NHS trusts to share knowledge with other NHS trusts, specifically knowledge gained during the implementation of IT systems, and especially experience from introducing

electronic health record An electronic health record (EHR) is the systematized collection of patient and population electronically stored health information in a digital format. These records can be shared across different health care settings. Records are shared throu ...

(EHR) systems. The GDE project is expected to last two to three and a half years; with the most digitally advanced trusts on the shorter time scale. Four rounds of exemplars have been announced so far — two waves of acute trust GDEs, and one wave each of ambulance trusts, and mental health trusts. In addition, eighteen acute trust "fast followers" have been partnered with the acute trusts. The programme involves the investment of £395 million. Each GDE will receive "up to £10 million" to spend on digital projects. The funding must be matched locally, but not necessarily in cash.

Programme elements

Each Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) received £10 million and their matched Fast Followers (FFs) received £5 million (£5 million for GDEs and £3 million for FFs in mental health); and they were required to secure matched funding internally. The

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) is an American not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving health care in quality, safety, cost-effectiveness and access through the best use of information technology and ...

(HIMSS) Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM) was chosen as a guide for programme outputs, with GDEs expect to obtain HIMSS Level 7 and FFs, HIMSS Level 5. The partnerships between GDEs and FFs constitute a formal mechanism to support knowledge transfer. The programme also introduced the idea of "Blueprints", documents describing how to implement digital technologies in healthcare.

Exemplars

Acute exemplars

The first twelve exemplars were announced in 2016. A second wave added another four in 2017. Although NHS England refers to this grouping of exemplars as "acute", a number of the hospitals operated by trusts within this group are specialised hospitals. Examples include,

Alder Hey Children's Hospital Alder Hey Children's Hospital is a children's hospital and NHS foundation trust in West Derby, Liverpool, England. It is one of the largest children's hospitals in the United Kingdom, and one of several specialist hospitals within the Liverpool ...

and

Western Eye Hospital Western Eye Hospital is an ophthalmology hospital in west London. It is managed by the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. History The hospital was founded by Henry Obre and John Woolcott, both surgeons, at St John's Place in Lisson Grove as ...

North

Alder Hey Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Alder Hey Children's Hospital is a children's hospital and NHS foundation trust in West Derby, Liverpool, England. It is one of the largest children's hospitals in the United Kingdom, and one of several specialist hospitals within the Liverpool ...

City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust was established as an NHS Trust in April 1994 and became an NHS Foundation Trust in July 2004, providing services in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. It operates Sunderland Royal Hospital, S ...

* Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust *

Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust was an NHS Trust in Liverpool. It managed the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital and Liverpool University Dental Hospital. History The trust was formed in ...

* Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust *

Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (WUTH) is an NHS Foundation Trust. It provides healthcare for people of the Wirral Peninsula and the surrounding areas of North West England and North Wales. The trust is responsible for ...

Midlands and East

* Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust *

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust The University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust provides adult district general hospital services for Birmingham as well as specialist treatments for the West Midlands. The trust operates the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Edgbaston ( ...

* Luton and Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust *

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust is an NHS foundation trust which runs West Suffolk Hospital, a large district general hospital in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England. The Trust provides a wide range of services to the population of west Suffolk ...

London

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust (formerly the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust) is an NHS foundation trust based in London, United Kingdom. It comprises Royal Free Hospital, Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, as well as clinics run ...

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is an NHS trust based in London, England. It is one of the largest NHS trusts in England and together with Imperial College London forms an academic health science centre. The trust was formed in October 20 ...

and

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust operates Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital (since 1 September 2015). The Foundation Trust was created on 1 October 2006. The Trust's chief executive is L ...

(as a joint Exemplar)

South

* Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust *

Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust was an NHS trust which managed Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton. It merged with Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to form Somerset NHS Foundation Trust in 2020. Dr Sam Barrell was appointed ...

University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust The University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is a National Health Service foundation trust in Bristol and Weston-super-Mare, England. The trust runs Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol Heart Institute, Bristol Royal Hosp ...

* University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

Fast followers

There are eighteen acute "fast follower" trusts, each of which has been partnered with an acute GDE.

Ambulance exemplars

As of July 2018, there are three

ambulance trust An ambulance services trust or ambulance trust is an organisation which provide ambulance services within the National Health Services of England and Wales. There are currently 11 ambulance services trusts in England and Wales. Ambulance services ...

exemplars. *

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust The South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) is the ambulance service for the counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Hampshire. It is a foundation trust of the National Health Service, and one of ten NHS ambul ...

* West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust *

North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust The North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (NEAS) is an NHS foundation trust responsible for providing NHS ambulance services in North East England. Headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne, NEAS provides emergency medical services to t ...

Mental health exemplars

There are currently seven mental health trust GDEs. *

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health services and other community based health services, primarily to the resident population of the Royal County of Berkshire, England, in the United Kingdom. Berkshire Healthcare NHS ...

Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health care for people living in Birmingham and Solihull, England. It became a Foundation Trust in July 2008. Sue Davis CBE was appointed as the Chair for the Trust in N ...

* Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust * Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust * Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust * South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust * Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust

References

{{reflist

External links

NHS England Global Digital ExemplarsIndependent evaluation of the programme
National Health Service (England)