Value Sharing Framework released by NHS England

NHS England’s Transformation Directorate has launched its Value Sharing Framework for NHS data partnerships – a set of guiding principles regarding data sharing collaborations. 

The aim of this new guidance is to help set up data sharing collaborations between NHS organisations and private sector partner organisations, such as those from academia and industry, in a fair and consistent way. The Value Sharing Framework (‘the Framework’) is designed to simplify the processes NHS organisations need to follow when looking to engage and innovate with data research, and to accelerate negotiations leading to data-sharing partnerships. It consists of four principles which seek to ensure and maintain a consistent approach across the NHS to protecting and sharing the value of health data:

• Cost of access should not prevent good use of data
• The NHS will always charge a fee for accessing health data
• The cost of access should depend on how data is being used; and
• The NHS should share in the value created by its data

The Framework forms part of the guidance for data-sharing NHS organisations that has been issued in recent years. This guidance includes the National Data Strategy (December 2020), Better, broader, safer, (April 2022), Data saves lives (June 2022), and the NHS Long Term Plan. The Framework builds on these existing guidance documents and is designed to help address public concerns regarding the sharing of NHS data. 

The Framework has also been prepared to support the developing national network of Secure Data Environments (SDEs) within the NHS across England. This is a network which, once complete, is intended to become the primary method of accessing NHS data for research purposes in a regulated and secure setting. One of the first ways in which the new Framework is expected to have an impact is in relation to the SDE network, which is expected to work alongside the Framework and the DHSC Data Access Policy to help the NHS move to a system of ‘data access as default’.

It is early days for the Framework and NHS England has advised that the details of the arrangements are still developing. It will be interesting to see how these principles will be adopted in practice by NHS organisations and their innovation partners, as the recommended commercial arrangements mature. It may also take time for organisations to start seeing the effect of the new Framework while existing arrangements continue in place. However, the new guidance helps to consolidate the national approach to NHS data sharing collaborations and the commercial values which organisations – both those within the NHS and also its partners – can expect to see applied going forwards.

The Hill Dickinson team are on hand to support you and your organisation with any questions you may have.

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