Our collaboration with NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB resulted in the development of an interactive dashboard that significantly advanced the understanding and management of maternity and neonatal services, promoting best practices and supporting data-driven decision-making across the region.

Background

The Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (STW) Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS) programme board oversees the local programme for maternity, neonatal, and perinatal transformation, including reducing inequalities. This includes quality surveillance, perinatal clinical quality oversight, and ensuring the delivery of national and local objectives. Historically, trust data was presented monthly in tables without benchmarks against other trusts or national standards, and wider population health indicators were not regularly included.

As part of the LMNS transformation plan’s data improvement strand, making this data more accessible to LMNS partners was identified as essential. This would enable a shared understanding of outcomes and allow for challenge and support within the region.

Action

NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB collaborated with NHS Midlands and Lancashire (NHS ML) to create a solution for twenty-three agreed metrics. This involved developing an interactive dashboard that integrates data from the maternity services dataset, secondary uses service, and emergency care dataset. The dashboard provides analysis at an integrated care board level, for Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, and benchmarks against other provider trusts. It includes data on bookings, births, and post-birth hospital activity.

Data was extracted and processed using structured query language scripting from NHS ML’s data warehouse, and visualised using Power BI, with results shared on the Aristotle Xi platform.

Impact

The interactive dashboard developed by NHS ML’s Business Intelligence team has significantly enhanced STW LMNS’s ability to:

– Identify and understand local population needs.

– Promote good practice across maternity services.

– Design and target interventions based on data insights.

– Identify areas with missing or poor-quality data.

– Understand the geographic patterns of maternity service users.

Feedback

Kirstin & Gbenga were a pleasure to work with and supported us in a dedicated and timely manner from our very first meeting with them all the way to project signoff. This was the first time our PMO had developed a brief for a benchmarking dashboard, Kirstin and Gbenga were patient with us when exploring the brief of the project, explaining the possibilities of what could be achieved within the timeframe whilst being realistic and ensuring that the project would be completed at the agreed end date and delivered successfully. They are professional, knowledgeable and their skills were invaluable. We were kept informed every step of the way with regular check ins and project updates, no question was a silly question (believe me I had plenty!) and they even delivered a dashboard demonstration at our programme board, being sure to give the dashboard the justice it deserved – and an opportunity to share their fantastic work.

The dashboard that Emma created has exceeded our expectations and impressed not only our PMO but our wider providers and public health colleagues. This dashboard will be integral in leading many transformation and quality improvement projects, providing us with the opportunity to benchmark against other providers, share learning and best practice and provide us with the data to evidence the success of projects many years down the line.

Jane Holloway | LMNS Project Manager | NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB

Further information

The following images are screenshots of the dashboard.

This image displays a summary of statistics. The map displays births by postcode district with summary information of the key metrics e.g. total bookings, gestational age, smokers etc.

This image shows a detailed view of each metric with interactive visuals to further filter data. This particular example displays the current smokers at the time of booking.

This image shows provider-level benchmarking that can be filtered to user requirements. This screenshot of the dashboard displays provider benchmarking of induction of labour.

This image shows an example screen of an interactive birth pathway analysis. This interactive pathway in the example screenshot from the dashboard shows the number of births and the pregnancy outcomes.

For more information

For more information and to learn how we can help your organisation, please contact us.