Until now, that picture required the collation of multiple reports. Supporting NHS England’s commitment to consistent, transparent reporting, the Hub’s Data and Pharmacy teams have developed two data dashboards. Both provide quarterly insights into service performance across England.
National Homecare Medicines Services KPI dashboard
The National Homecare Medicines Services KPI Dashboard supports regional homecare specialists and colleagues as they help local chief pharmacists deliver safe and effective homecare medicines services. It also gives NHS England’s senior responsible officer visibility of national delivery performance.
The dashboard offers a single, national quarterly report, broken down by region, in a consistent format on the Microsoft Power BI platform. It includes UK-wide data, incorporating figures from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
By consolidating data that previously sat across several reports, the dashboard reduces duplication and streamlines access. It also supports benchmarking, so regions can compare supplier performance with NHS peers.
Public National Homecare Medicines Services KPI dashboard
A public version, with all commercially sensitive information removed, was developed with input from patient and professional groups. It is now available online via a live link, offering patients, patient groups and members of the public greater insight into how these services perform.
Introduced by NHS England and developed by the Hub, the public dashboard meets a recommendation from the House of Lords Public Services Committee’s 2023/24 inquiry into Homecare Medicines Services. The Committee recommended:
“NHS England to develop and implement one consistent set of performance metrics. The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England should ensure that these metrics are published regularly in a consistent, standardised form to ensure meaningful public scrutiny.”
Both dashboards draw on the National KPI definitions, covering 20 key performance indicators (KPIs). These include data on late or missed deliveries, and on complaints and incidents.
Building on a regional model
James Smith, business information analyst in the Hub’s Data team, built the national dashboard efficiently and quickly. He used the Hub’s East of England Regional Homecare Medicines Services KPI Dashboard as a template, adapting it to accommodate different data sets.
Darren McVee, assistant director operations, described the project as a strong example of the Hub’s commitment to delivering practical, data-driven solutions. Working closely with the Pharmacy and Healthcare Services team produced a dashboard that gives clearer insight into homecare performance while supporting NHS priorities. At the heart of the work, he said, is “our dedication to providing better data-driven insights that ultimately deliver improved patient care.”
Joe Bassett, the Hub’s assistant director of procurement, pharmacy and healthcare services, is currently working with NHS England on the Homecare Medicines Improvement Programme. He noted that the Hub was able to support NHS England’s objective of national transparency in delivery performance quickly, because it could build on a regional dashboard that members across the East of England value highly.
He added that Homecare Medicines Services “improve the care we provide to outpatients, helping people live their life while managing their condition.
Explore the dashboard
The public dashboard is available online: National Homecare Medicines Services KPI Dashboards – Public.