PHIN is asking consultants and professional organisations to share their views on our plans for Whole Practice information.

Consultants often work across several NHS and independent hospitals. At present, information about this work is held in separate places. This can make it difficult for patients and healthcare organisations to see a complete picture of a consultant’s hospital activity.

PHIN wants to bring NHS and independent-sector activity together. This would show the number and types of procedures a consultant carries out across both sectors. It would show activity, not whether care was good or poor.

What is PHIN proposing?

We are asking for views on three areas:

  1. changing the existing publication of NHS activity from an opt-in to an opt-out approach,
  2. allowing a small number of approved clinical governance staff to see Whole Practice information for consultants working in their organisation; and
  3. safeguards for any future use of PHIN data to identify unusual patterns that may need clinical review.

Consultants would be able to review NHS activity linked to them before publication and reject records they believe are incorrect. Information rejected by a consultant would not be published, and the public would not be told that records had been rejected.

Clinical governance access would be restricted to approved users with a current relationship to the consultant. PHIN would not use Whole Practice information to rank consultants or decide whether a consultant is competent.

Have your say

We want to understand:

  • whether the proposals are clear and fair;
  • whether the planned safeguards are strong enough;
  • where NHS data could be misleading or linked to the wrong consultant;
  • how consultants should be involved if an unusual pattern is identified; and
  • what other risks or unintended effects PHIN should consider.

The consultation is open to individual consultants and organisations representing consultants.

Take part in the Whole Practice consultation

The consultation closes on Monday 30th November 2026.

Your responses will help PHIN improve the safeguards, explanations and design of Whole Practice information before final decisions are made.

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