Nin

The UK is about to run Exercise Pegasus — its first full-scale pandemic simulation in nearly a decade. Unlike the paper-based Exercise Cygnus in 2016, Pegasus is built around modern technology. Real NHS GP data is being anonymised and modelled through OpenSAFELY to stress-test how a new virus would impact vulnerable groups. Command software will simulate nationwide surges, forcing Integrated Care Boards, hospitals, and Local Resilience Forums to share data in real time. Pegasus isn’t just about doctors and ministers in a room. It’s about seeing whether digital logistics systems can move PPE, antivirals, and vaccines across the UK at speed; whether AI-driven scenario modelling can give leaders enough lead-time to act; whether communications pipelines can keep public dashboards accurate during a data fog. For investors, the real story here is how much health resilience has become a technology challenge. Pegasus is a dry run for the algorithms, logistics platforms, and data science tools that will underpin the NHS’s next crisis. It will show where the gaps are — and where opportunities for companies in healthtech, AI, and supply chain innovation could explode into focus. This is not just an exercise in public health. It’s a systems test of digital Britain under pressure. More analysis soon via Tech-Eye-Spy.

A better place for everything.

🏆 The winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize 2024 is The Elizabeth Line by @GrimshawArch, Maynard, @equation_light and @atkinsrealis A triumph in architect-led collaboration, setting a new standard for inner-city transport: ow.ly/gXTV50TMvnf Sponsored by @autodesk

@TanDhesi @HouseofCommons Congratulations Tan!

Hugely honoured to be elected by @HouseofCommons to serve as Chair of the #Defence Committee. We must work cross-party to ensure the government undertakes its primary duty to keep our country safe, and collaboratively deal with complex threats to global security and stability.

@theboysmithy @TimHarford Wonderful story and entertaining read.

17/ How Bill Phillips, 'the Indiana Jones of economics', came to be a student at LSE in 1949 is a whole other story. @TimHarford can you tell you all about it and you can read more from me about our digital version in our free-to-read FT weekend package ft.com/money-machine

This week, we published the first mixed-reality @FT app in the @Apple #VisionPro app store. It's been in development since 1949. Yep, this one merits a thread...

@pash22 @sib313 @PharmRJ @DrKevinSchwartz @gushamilton @NHSBSA @NHSBSA_ePACT2 @openprescribing What other analyses on OpenPrescribing or OpenSAFELY do you think are worth exploring?

@sib313 @PharmRJ @DrKevinSchwartz @gushamilton @NHSBSA @NHSBSA_ePACT2 @openprescribing I want @openprescribing to extend its platform to secondary care Rx asap because that's where the mega-savings will come from hopefully. Primary care ALWAYS stays within its prescribing budget whereas secondary care NEVER does.

Mailed feedback to primary care physicians on antibiotic prescribing for patients aged 65 years and older: pragmatic, factorial randomised controlled trial bmj.com/content/385/bm… via @DrKevinSchwartz et al @PharmRJ @gushamilton

But our findings do highlight the need for realistic assumptions when modelling how time-saving technologies could increase volumes of care in the NHS. 10/12

When we asked 560 clinicians how they would likely use an hour of time freed up by technology, 27% allocated it to patient care or direct clinical activity. Others chose important activities like training, admin, quality improvement, research, reducing overtime, etc. 8/12

How would clinical staff use time freed up by technology? The assumption underlying much policymaking is that freed-up time will automatically translate into equivalent amounts of additional time for patient care. Our results caution against this… 7/12

But there’s another challenge too. Even if tech does free up time, productivity benefits only emerge if that freed-up time is then used effectively. This is by no means guaranteed! 5/12

@sib313 You weren't the only one reporting lack of recording of activity from newer GP systems. They were getting it from all sides. Eventually arbitrage was left to ICSs to sort, incurring unwarranted variation from ICS to ICS and worse PCN to PCN. ARRS data had similar issues too.

The official collection that measures GP appointments and how long they took between booking and the appointment seemed to be missing a lot of activity from modern online systems like AskmyGP, PATCHS and accuRX...

A few years ago, when I was more engaged in analysis of primary care activity, I pointed out that the new NHS data collection about GP activity was missing some important stuff...

We are RECRUITING! Researchers, software developers, product managers, PPIE leads and more! Come and join us! bennett.ox.ac.uk/vacancies/

@medConfidential The link (in the newsletter) covering the Cx's Budget links the Digital Health site; it doesn't mention mandation of FDP. It does however mention that each hospital trust is to use a electronic patient record systems e.g. Cerner, Epic etc. Where's the FDP mandation bit?

Today’s newsletter medconfidential.org/2024/medconfid…

@jessRmorley Yes - don't underestimate the time it takes for good video editing though.

How does OpenSAFELY work? How can we protect privacy while researchers access patient data? Find out on @BBCMoreOrLess ! bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3c…

@medConfidential Where's this para from? Can't see it in the press release.

And there go NHS England’s claims that you can’t opt out of FDP - these additional users are not direct care, and so can be objected to - will patients have to opt out again?

The written statement has the first surprise in it - Privitar lose their existing pseudonymisation contract and it goes to (Sackler-family-firm) IQVIA

@DrSteveTaylor Thanks for replying. £0.5b is based on a doubling from a previous event. Unlikely to happen now so late on in the national procurement. Purchasing of EPRs are the gift of trusts + ICBs, yet ~£6bn to £6.5bn is from what ...EPR & scope creep? At the mo £7bn is a fiction.

@NinSandhu2 £240m has doubled since April 2022 to £480m 🤔 Seems NHSE like doubling their numbers Scope creep for EPR as data required for xyz eg social care access will mean additional costs EPR and will inevitably rise Broad estimates details are hard to get digitalhealth.net/2022/04/nhs-en…

NHS Data GIVEAWAY Federated Data Platform is an even bigger piece of NHS data systems given to US based companies including Palantir to control £7bn going from Taxpayer through HMT & NHSE with no alternative tendering This needs openness why are UK companies not being used

@DrSteveTaylor It's £480m for contract life. As I understand it the FDP would replace the Foundrysystem. How you've ~doubled the cost from £480m to £1bn is a stretch. What's the difference between EPR £2bn and Electronic Patient Record £4bn. 1) A typo? 2) Where did these figs come from?

@NinSandhu2 The FDP is a £480m contract likely to balloon to £1Bn ++ Are there annual license costs for the foundry platform? No one knows🤷🏻‍♂️ On top £2bn for additional Electronic Patient Record systems On top of the current EPR – £4bn Summary: £7Bn