NHS rheumatology teams can now access the most up-to-date GIRFT data for the specialty on the Model Health System (MHS), supporting them to better understand their service in comparison to others and identify where improvements are needed.
The new GIRFT compartment for rheumatology features more than 150 metrics, covering outpatient activity (rates of ‘did not attends’ (DNAs), patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU) and remote appointments), day case admissions of patients with a primary or secondary rheumatology condition, and – for the first time – comparative prescribing data for drugs used in specialised and general rheumatology care.
Data can be viewed at provider or system level, with comparisons possible between trusts and ICBs.
As well as contextual metrics, the new rheumatology compartment includes data on services for patients with giant cell arteritis, inflammatory arthritis, autoimmune connective tissue disease and vasculitis and metabolic bone disease.
To access data for your unit, log in to https://model.nhs.uk/ and navigate to ‘acute hospital services’ > rheumatology > GIRFT metrics.
“This is the first time that rheumatology clinical teams and operational managers can review their most current data and benchmark their service against other providers and national medians, building on the GIRFT provider-level reports. We are especially pleased to have been able to include comparative prescribing data for high-cost drugs, both for specialised and general rheumatology. We hope everyone in the specialty logs in to see the data for their trust or system, to better understand their service and see opportunities where changes can be made.”
Join our webinar
GIRFT is hosting a webinar on 17th October (1pm) – aimed predominantly at registrars/resident doctors – to outline the GIRFT rheumatology methodology, the aims of the Further Faster programme in rheumatology, and how to find and use the new GIRFT metrics for your service using the Model Health System. Register to attend.
GIRFT’s national report for rheumatology – authored by Dr Lanyon and Dr Lesley Kay (GIRFT joint clinical lead and NHS England’s national clinical director for musculoskeletal conditions) – was published in 2021, based on visits to around half the NHS trusts in England and questionnaires returned by all 134 English trusts offering rheumatology services.
The review showed that more than 10 million people in the UK are affected by rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders (RMDs), representing a significant burden in terms of disability, quality of life, lost workdays, and cost of treatment.
The report recommended that trusts make use of national medicines data reporting systems, together with local benchmarking published through the Model Health System, to enable transparent local and regional comparison of high-cost medicines usage.
