Partnership News
Transforming Governance and Data at Somerset NHS FT
The Journey of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust with Radar Healthcare: A Spotlight on Transforming Governance and Data Management
When Somerset NHS Foundation Trust first partnered with Radar Healthcare in 2020, it marked the beginning of a transformative journey in governance and data management. As one of the first NHS Trusts to adopt Radar Healthcare’s risk, quality, and compliance software, Somerset embarked on a mission to enhance their data usage and governance processes across their extensive and complex healthcare system.
This article explores key insights from a recent customer webinar hosted by Radar Healthcare, featuring Rhian Bulmer, Chief Partnership Officer at Radar Healthcare, Stephen Thomson, Director of Integrated Governance at Somerset NHS FT, and Paula Wiggins, Governance Systems Development Manager at Somerset NHS FT…
How Somerset NHS FT Navigated Mergers and Strengthened Governance with Radar Healthcare
The Trust’s partnership with Radar Healthcare began following a merger in 2020 and has since expanded through a second merger in 2023. Today, Somerset operates as a combined organisation that spans acute, community, mental health, and primary care services, making it one of the largest and most complex healthcare trusts in England.
The conversation between Stephen, Paula, and Rhian revealed valuable lessons on managing such a vast healthcare system and the role Radar Healthcare has played in supporting Somerset’s vision of devolved governance and data-driven decision-making. They also share their experience on how their organisation is harnessing the power of dashboards to improve governance, empower staff, and prepare for future innovations, such as Freedom to Speak Up and Learning From Patient Safety Events (LFPSE).
Understanding Somerset NHS Foundation Trust’s Unique Structure
Somerset stands out due to its unique structure and vast geographical scope. With over 150 sites, including two acute hospitals, 10 community hospitals, 10 mental health inpatient wards, dental practices, and 21 GP practices, the Trust serves a large and diverse population across Somerset. The Trust also employs more than 14,000 staff, operating within a devolved governance framework that emphasises local leadership and empowerment.
This decentralised approach to governance has driven the need for an adaptable and scalable data management solution. Radar Healthcare has proven to be that solution. As Stephen explained during the webinar, “We went out to tender expecting to use one of the systems we were familiar with, but Radar Healthcare won on the balance of quality and price.” The decision to adopt Radar Healthcare marked a critical step in Somerset’s journey toward enabling real-time data access and analysis across its complex organisation.
Radar Healthcare: Meeting the Needs of a Complex Organisation
During the webinar, both Stephen and Paula highlighted how Radar Healthcare has helped the Trust streamline its governance processes and manage data more effectively. The platform is currently used for three main functions: event reporting, risk management, and document management. These capabilities have been instrumental in addressing Somerset’s unique challenges, particularly following its two mergers.
The event reporting functionality, for instance, has enabled Somerset to manage incidents, complaints, information governance, and claims effectively. Paula elaborated on the Trust’s initial use of Radar Healthcare during the early stages of the partnership: “We focused on incident reporting, complaints, and claims. Once we had those up and running, we began looking for further opportunities to expand our use of the platform.”
One of those opportunities was the use of the risk management module, which has allowed Somerset to monitor and manage risks across their 150+ sites. This feature is particularly important given the complexity of the Trust’s operations, where managing risk across a wide variety of healthcare settings – from acute hospitals to community care – is a daily challenge. Paula noted, “We’ve been able to develop tools such as dashboards that help our staff better understand and mitigate risks at all levels.”
“You really, really do have to think about the outputs. That’s something we are doing more than ever now. Even though we knew it from the beginning, it really does hit home how much you need to think about those outputs when you’re using tech and building a system.”
Transforming Governance Through Data
One of the most transformative aspects of Somerset’s journey with Radar Healthcare has been the shift toward data-driven governance. At the heart of this transformation is the Trust’s use of Radar Healthcare’s dashboard functionality.
The standard ‘out-of-the-box’ dashboards were critical in helping Somerset build a foundation for their data-driven governance model. Stephen described how the Trust has used these dashboards to empower frontline staff to take ownership of their data: “Rather than sitting back and waiting to be fed data, staff are using the dashboards to identify their own issues, drill down into specific events, and make informed decisions based on real-time insights.”
“We developed a service group overview dashboard, so we were looking at all the different event types on there - incidents, excellence reporting, PALS, complaints - and how many are waiting for reviews.
Another tool that one of our analysts developed is a dashboard status report, which is great because it’s also set up with a pulse alert.
We’ve also developed a document status dashboard which is brilliant for service groups across the organisation. They now have an overall trust-wide view of policies and documents, how many are in date, and all you need for our KPIs. But you can also drill down through service groups to have a look at your own.
Moreover, another specialised dashboard is the Claims Dashboard, which provides high-level reporting on legal claims across the organisation. It looks at high-level numbers and things for reporting. It’s another example of how we’re using dashboards in a more specific way.”
Empowering Staff with Data: Somerset’s Commitment to Decentralised Decision-Making
One of the key drivers behind this data-driven approach is Somerset’s commitment to empowering its staff. As Stephen explained, “We want to give people the tools to explore the data for themselves, rather than waiting for centralised reports to tell them what’s happening.”
This emphasis on decentralisation and local ownership of data aligns with Somerset’s broader governance vision, which prioritises devolved leadership and decision-making at all levels of the organisation.
“It’s brilliant to have those conversations and say, ‘We think this would be helpful,’ and then come back with someone saying, ‘Actually, this is what we could do, and this is how we could demonstrate it.’ It’s not just about building a dashboard; it’s about using the data in a way that really makes sense for what you’re trying to achieve...
...Before Radar Healthcare, we couldn’t get buy-in from staff in the same way. If you send people a big spreadsheet or report, they’ll probably look at it a bit, but are they really identifying things that need to be done and improved? The dashboards, on the other hand, are brilliant for empowering staff and getting that frontline buy-in.”The Impact of Real-Time Data on Patient Care
One of the most significant benefits of Somerset’s partnership with Radar Healthcare has been the impact on patient care. By enabling staff to access and analyse data in real-time, Radar Healthcare has improved the Trust’s ability to respond to incidents and manage risks proactively.
As Paula noted, the ability to search for patient information quickly and efficiently using Radar Healthcare’s query builder has been particularly valuable. “Because of the complexity of our organisation, we can’t link to a single health system. Radar Healthcare allows us to search by NHS number or local identifier, which has been a game-changer for managing patient information,” she said.
In addition to incident management and patient information, Somerset has also used Radar Healthcare to enhance its governance processes around regulatory compliance. The Trust is currently exploring the use of Radar Healthcare’s audit functionality to help meet the standards set by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Paula explained that this is one of the next steps for Somerset as they continue to expand their use of the platform.
"Our product is quickly evolving into a valuable data resource. While we began as a tool for data collection and operational processes, we are now emerging as a leader in data analysis. The demand for our dashboards has surged, initially introduced as a feature we thought users might appreciate, they have now become a cornerstone of our offering."
Looking Ahead: Continuing the Partnership
As Somerset NHS FT continues to evolve, its partnership with Radar Healthcare remains at the core of its governance strategy. The Trust is constantly exploring new opportunities to expand its use of the platform and develop new tools that can support its vision of data-driven, decentralised governance.
Paula highlighted how important it has been to collaborate with other NHS trusts and Radar Healthcare to share best practices and learn from each other’s experiences: “Working with other Trusts has been fantastic for us. It’s great to share different ways of doing things and explore how we can continue to develop our use of Radar Healthcare.”
Stephen echoed this sentiment, adding that the partnership with Radar Healthcare has been instrumental in helping Somerset achieve its governance goals: “We’ve come a long way since 2020, but we’re still learning and developing. The key is to keep pushing forward and looking for new ways to improve.”
Paula and Stephen’s next steps will be now to look at developing a dashboard that can help them with governance frameworks like LFPSE: “We probably underestimated how much people would use the dashboards,” Paula says. “Next, we are looking at how we can build one to help us with LFPSE.”
Paula highlights the ongoing nature of their work: “For us, it’s really an ongoing project. There’s always stuff to do, as long as it’s in line with the overall governance strategy.”
In Summary
Somerset NHS Trust’s journey with Radar Healthcare offers valuable insights into how technology can transform governance and data management in complex healthcare environments. Through their partnership with Radar Healthcare, Somerset has been able to decentralise governance, empower frontline staff with real-time data, and improve patient care.
As the Trust continues to grow and evolve, their experience with Radar Healthcare serves as a powerful example of how collaboration and innovation can drive meaningful change in the NHS.
Book your free demo 
