NHSE hires consultants to ‘promote adoption’ of FDP

Under the deal, details of which were published on Friday 12 April, KPMG will provide “technical support and implementation services” to the NHS on the federated data platform from now to March 2026.

It will work with NHS England, trusts and integrated care boards to “implement the federated data platform software”, “develop and execute strategies to promote the adoption of nationally provided solutions”, and “support ICBs and trusts in implementing their individual federated platforms”.

It comes as NHSE and many ICBs are making significant cuts to their own management staffing, to reduce overheads.

According to the contract details, KPMG should have supported 40 trusts to implement the FDP within nine months of the deal being awarded on 14 March.

Controversial US firm Palantir won the £330m contract to provide the platform itself in December, while Iqvia was awarded a £28m contract to provide “privacy enhancing technology” for the platform.

NHSE has previously said FDP will roll out in three phases over the next three years, with 70 trusts expected to adopt it this year.

Ministers have said 41 trusts have already agreed to join, and NHSE is “actively engaging” with a further 29.

Initially, the FDP’s main functions are analytics for scheduling elective care and managing flow/discharge; but NHSE and government appear to think it will have much wider potential in future.

NHSE has said “GP data will not be part of the national platform”, but Labour shadow health secretary Wes Streeting has said it should be, which would create much more potential for population health management.

The new deal will also see KPMG “help to design and implement data standards specific to healthcare, ensuring compatibility and interoperability” and “implementing robust data quality control measures across the evolving product suite”, according to the details published by NHSE.