A New Era for NHS Data Collaboration
The NHS stands at a pivotal moment in its digital transformation journey. With the emergence of the Federated Data Platform (FDP), the opportunity to unlock truly collaborative, insight-driven healthcare is within reach. But this journey doesn’t begin with a blank slate. Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and NHS Trusts have already built significant data infrastructure, governance models, and analytical talent.
FDP+ is the enablement layer designed to support this transition — ensuring NHS organisations can confidently connect to the FDP, retain the value of their existing investments, and build new capabilities without disruption. This first blog in the FDP+ series explores what readiness and integration really mean, how to achieve them, and why FDP+ positions NHS Trusts for long-term success.
The Foundation: What NHS Trusts Have Already Built
Before the term “FDP” entered the conversation, NHS data leaders were already building the foundation for a federated future. Across England, local systems have:
- Developed relational databases that mirror real-world care pathways
- Linked GP, acute, community, and social care data with structured governance
- Created lawful data-sharing models for secondary use, backed by DPIAs and data-sharing agreements
- Trained analysts fluent in SQL, R, Python, DAX, and Power BI — often maintaining reusable code libraries for automation
- Built software ecosystems of visualisation platforms, reporting tools, and predictive models
These aren’t just “legacy” systems — they are valuable assets that continue to deliver patient and operational benefits every day.
FDP+ does not replace this. It enables it to scale.
Understanding FDP: Federated, Flexible, Forward-Looking
FDP is not a system but a federated architecture — a way of connecting, governing, and collaborating with data that respects local ownership while enabling national scale. It brings capabilities such as:
- Secure access and federated collaboration
- Standardisation of key datasets
- Shared tooling and environments
- Advanced analytics at regional and national scale
FDP empowers the NHS to work smarter and faster — together.
What Is FDP+ Readiness?
FDP+ readiness is about ensuring NHS Trusts and ICBs are technically, operationally, and strategically aligned to onboard FDP in a way that works for them. It means:
- Preserving the functionality and value of local systems
- Maintaining continuity for analysts and IG teams
- Aligning existing governance frameworks with national requirements
- Ensuring data pipelines, platforms, and users are set up to integrate, not duplicate
It’s not just about meeting a technical specification — it’s about ensuring readiness in five key domains: data, governance, people, technology, and assurance.
Domain 1: Data Readiness
At the heart of any integration is data. FDP+ begins with assessing and preparing the datasets most valuable to the Trust and ICB:
- What datasets are currently in use for planning, performance, and care delivery?
- How is GP data used, linked, and governed?
- What transformations and logic are applied within existing ETL pipelines?
- How is data quality monitored and managed?
FDP+ supports data mapping and lineage tracking to ensure nothing is lost in translation. Existing tables, views, and models can be integrated with minimal refactoring. Secure connectors and FHIR APIs ensure compatibility.
Crucially, FDP+ supports hybrid approaches. For Trusts already running a local Data Platform, FDP+ helps link those assets into the federated model without requiring migration.
Domain 2: Governance Readiness
Information governance is not an afterthought — it’s the enabler. Most Trusts have already established robust governance processes:
- Approved DPIAs for GP and patient data use
- Data Sharing Agreements with partners
- Data access policies reflecting roles use cases, and audit controls
FDP+ does not bypass these. Instead, it ensures that existing policies are reflected in the federated access model:
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) frameworks are mapped from local systems to FDP
- Policies are embedded into API-level authentication and permissions
- Zero Trust Security models are applied across all layers
Readiness means reconciling IG models — not replacing them. FDP+ helps Trusts retain accountability while benefiting from national alignment.
Domain 3: People Readiness
A platform is only as good as the people who use it. FDP+ is designed around the needs of NHS data teams — not the other way around. Most Trusts already have:
- Analysts with deep knowledge of local data flows and health priorities
- BI teams supporting Power BI, Tableau, Excel-based reporting
- Data scientists building models in R, Python, or notebooks
FDP+ integrates these environments — providing continued access to:
- Jupyter and RStudio workspaces
- CI/CD pipelines for model deployment
- Custom Python and R libraries
- SQL- and DAX-based reporting tools
No need to rewrite the working code. No need to leave existing dashboards behind. Analysts can continue using familiar tools, connected to a broader data universe.
Domain 4: Technology Readiness
FDP+ introduces new technical capabilities, but it doesn’t discard existing architecture. Instead, it wraps around what’s already there.
Readiness activities include:
- Validating local data warehouse compatibility with FDP schemas
- Setting up secure cloud storage and scalable compute (Azure, AWS, GCP)
- Integrating identity and access management (AAD, NHS Identity, Okta)
- Aligning technical operations to federated access workflows
FDP+ also supports real-time data ingestion and batch processing, depending on local needs. Trusts retain autonomy — and FDP+ ensures systems talk to each other securely.
Domain 5: Assurance Readiness
Readiness is not complete without assurance — and FDP+ provides a structured layer for ongoing testing and validation.
This includes:
- Penetration testing and vulnerability scanning
- Continuous DSPT and DTAC compliance validation
- API integration testing across EPR and FDP layers
- Regression testing for dashboarding and automated scripts
- Performance benchmarking for data transfer and query response
Every step in the readiness process includes auditable checkpoints. Trusts don’t just go live — they go live with confidence.
Key Outcomes of the Readiness Phase
At the end of the FDP+ readiness and integration phase, Trusts achieved:
- Seamless data flow from local systems to FDP via secure APIs
- Aligned IG frameworks across local and federated platforms
- Fully operational analyst environments within the FDP architecture
- Connected dashboards and reporting pipelines powered by real-time data
- Automated assurance workflows for security, compliance, and governance
This is not a hypothetical outcome — it is the real-world value already being delivered through early FDP+ adopters.
The Transition Experience: Co-Existence, Not Switch-Off
One of the most important aspects of FDP+ is that it enables a co-existence model. Trusts don’t need to stop using existing platforms on Day One. Instead, FDP+ provides a bridge — allowing for gradual adoption, risk-managed onboarding, and continuous improvement.
This transition is:
- Non-disruptive: No breaking changes to current operations
- Incremental: Start with one data domain, expand over time
- Configurable: FDP+ can be tailored to meet individual Trust needs
- Governed: Assurance frameworks validate every step
FDP+ is the opposite of rip-and-replace. It’s connect-and-extend.
A Confident Start to a Federated Future
The NHS has already done the hard work. The data, the talent, the governance — it’s all there. FDP+ offers a structured, secure, and empowering way to take that foundation forward.
By enabling seamless integration with FDP, FDP+ ensures that NHS Trusts preserve the value they’ve already created — while gaining access to national datasets, advanced tooling, and future-ready infrastructure.
Readiness isn’t about starting over. It’s about building with purpose. FDP+ ensures that NHS data leaders have the roadmap, support, and flexibility they need to move forward — together.
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