We are undertaking a targeted Discovery phase to understand the full complexity of the technical, IG and governance challenges we will have to overcome to deliver a population health platform for the ICS. This will enable us to be better informed around what elements to buy and what we need greater control of, and therefore what to build. The Discovery phase is helpful to get collective clarity on how the future platform architecture mitigates risk.
What’s in scope for the Discovery?
There are three work streams that sit within the Discovery:
Technical Tests
The Discovery phase commenced on 1st September 2025. During these 10 weeks we are conducting technical tests on data extraction and matching, focusing on a high-intensity 65+ cohort identified within participating GP practices. This includes data from Adult Social Care, Somerset Foundation Trust, and others (including VCFSE partners).
The technical tests involve:
- Data extraction from partner systems
- Data matching and cleansing (standardising terminology)
- Data pseudonymisation and re-identification
We will not design dashboards or undertake in-depth cohort analysis during this phase.
Governance
We are also building two communities of practice for data analytics and data engineering colleagues across the ICS, with a focus on building commonality around standards, data dictionaries, partner reports, research and evaluation.
Engagement
We are launching a public engagement program supported by Healthwatch. This includes face-to-face events, online videos, surveys, and workshops with Patient Participation Groups to engage the Somerset population on the appraoch that we’re taking to join up data and to identify areas of concern that we may be able to mitigate from a data architecture or governance perspective..