NHS England’s Tiger Teams: A New Approach to Electronic Patient Records Implementation
In a significant move to enhance the digital landscape of healthcare in England, NHS England has announced a contract notice for an innovative service known as "tiger teams." This initiative aims to provide an experienced, multi-skilled, rapid response intervention service to support the rollout of electronic patient records (EPRs) across the country. With an estimated value of £13.3 million, this contract represents a crucial expansion of existing support mechanisms for healthcare providers.
Understanding the Need for Tiger Teams
The implementation of EPRs is notoriously complex, often presenting a myriad of challenges for healthcare trusts. The digital, data, and technology workforce within the NHS varies widely in terms of experience and skill sets. As the contract notice highlights, there is frequently a need for specific, time-bound skill sets to address particular challenges during the EPR delivery process. This can include problem rectification, specialist interventions, or the delivery of specific deliverables.
Trusts across England have reported increasing difficulties in sourcing high-quality, skilled short-term resources. This shortage is evident in both the recruitment and contingent labor markets, making it imperative for NHS England to find a solution that can effectively support these organizations in their EPR implementation efforts.
The Role of Tiger Teams
To address these challenges, NHS England’s tiger teams will provide a time-boxed service to healthcare trusts, stepping in when other attempts to fulfill resource requirements have fallen short. These teams are expected to possess a deep organizational knowledge of best practices in EPR design, delivery, and optimization. Moreover, they will focus on knowledge transfer and retention within the NHS, utilizing a buddying-style approach to work alongside existing staff. This collaborative method aims to create a more sustainable resourcing model, ensuring that trusts can maintain and build upon the expertise gained during the intervention.
Building a Cohort of Expertise
Bidders for the tiger teams contract will need to demonstrate their ability to assemble a cohort of operators with specialized knowledge. This group will be deployed across the healthcare system to tackle similar tasks, effectively establishing a virtual center of expertise. By fostering a network of skilled professionals, NHS England aims to accelerate the implementation of EPRs and enhance the overall digital capabilities of healthcare providers.
Supporting the Frontline Digitisation Programme
The tiger teams initiative is part of a broader effort to support the frontline digitisation programme, which is working with provider organizations to ensure they reach a minimum level of digital capability. The goal is to have EPR systems in place by the end of March 2026. Despite the extensive support offered by the frontline digitisation programme, the contract notice emphasizes that it does not include resources for hands-on, "boots-on-ground" interventions. This gap is precisely what the tiger teams are designed to fill.
Timeline and Next Steps
The contract notice was published on 24 October 2024, following a prior information notice released earlier in the year. The tiger teams service is set to commence on 1 April 2025 and will run until 31 March 2026, with the possibility of extending for an additional 12 months. Interested parties have until 20 November 2024 to submit their tenders and requests to participate in this vital initiative.
Conclusion
NHS England’s tiger teams represent a proactive and strategic approach to overcoming the challenges associated with EPR implementation. By providing targeted, skilled support to healthcare trusts, this initiative aims to enhance the digital capabilities of the NHS, ultimately leading to improved patient care and outcomes. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, the success of the tiger teams will be closely monitored, serving as a potential model for future interventions in the digital transformation of healthcare services.