New podcast: Exploring NACEL and What We Can Learn from the Audit with Dr Mary Miller

We’re delighted to share that our NACEL Clinical Lead, Dr Mary Miller, recently joined Dr Clare Fuller for the Speak For Me podcast to discuss the importance of Advance Care Planning and what can be learnt from the National Audit of Care at the End of Life (NACEL) 2024.

The discussion highlights findings from the latest round of NACEL showing that fewer than half of patient records included evidence of Advance Care Planning. Dr Mary Miller reflects on the importance of open and early planning conversations to ensure that people’s wishes and preferences are understood and respected at the end of life.

🎧 Listen now: Holding Uncertainty – Exploring NACEL and what we can learn from the audit with Dr Mary Miller 

Published 10 November 2025 

🔗 https://speakforme.co.uk/podcast-episode-141  

Learning Disabilities Improvement Standards (LDIS) Project Recommissioned for Round 8 – Get Involved!

We are excited to announce that the Learning Disabilities Improvement Standards (LDIS) project has been recommissioned for their eighth round!

Launched in 2018 by NHS Improvement, the LDIS was created to ensure that the NHS delivers high quality, personalised, and safe care for the estimated 950,000 adults and 300,000 children with learning disabilities, as well as 440,000 adults and 120,000 children with autism across England. These standards were co-designed with people with learning disabilities, autistic people, family members, carers, and health professionals, ensuring that the voices of those with lived experience are at the heart of improvement efforts.

The NHS Long Term Plan (2019) pledged that, over five years, these national standards would be implemented by all NHS-funded services. The aim: to guarantee that people with learning disabilities and/or autistic people receive the care they deserve, care that is high quality, personalised and safe.

Why Participate?

The LDIS review is a national initiative to understand how well organisations are meeting these standards. It identifies opportunities for improvement and aligns with national policy priorities. By participating, your organisation can:

• Benchmark its performance against four key standards:

• Respecting and protecting rights

• Inclusion and engagement

• Workforce

• Specialist learning disability services (for trusts providing specialist services)

• Identify strengths and areas for development

• Contribute to a national movement for equity and excellence in care

How to Get Involved

• Reports for Round 7 have been sent to participants. If you haven’t received your report, please contact nhsbn.nhsildsupport@nhs.net.

• Registration for Round 8 is now open on the members’ area, and data collection opens on Monday, 3rd November!

Your participation matters, let’s work together to ensure everyone receives the care and respect they deserve.

Global Metrics, Local Impact: The International Mental Health Benchmarking Project

The International Mental Health Benchmarking Project is setting a new standard for how mental health services are measured, compared, and improved globally. Led by the NHS Benchmarking Network, this ground-breaking initiative brings together data from participating countries worldwide to create a shared understanding of what high-quality mental health care looks like, no matter where it's delivered.

What does the project involve?

• Comprehensive benchmarking across inpatient, community, and crisis mental health services

• Global collaboration with health systems from Europe, North America, Asia, and Oceania

• Key metrics on access, workforce, outcomes, and service models

• Actionable insights to inform policy, planning, and service transformation

Why It Matters?
Mental health systems vary widely across the world—but the challenges are shared. The project provides a unique opportunity to learn from international best practices, identify gaps, and accelerate improvements in care. Whether you're a clinician, commissioner, or policymaker, this project offers the data you need to drive change.

Next Steps
The latest round of data collection will be beginning in October 2025, with the development of the data collection template currently underway. Participants will gain access to bespoke outputs, peer learning sessions, and tailored support to interpret and apply findings locally.

If you'd like to find out more about this project, please reach out to the project team at nhsbn.international@nhs.net

Transforming Children and Young People’s Community Services - A Review of Community Paediatric Services in England Report Released!

We are pleased to release the overview report and summary findings for Transforming Children and Young People’s Community Services - A Review of Community Paediatric Services in England.

NHS England commissioned the team at the NHS Benchmarking Network (the Network) to deliver a benchmarking review of community paediatric services across England, as it is known that children and families across England are facing long waits and inconsistent access to community paediatric services. This report shows the findings from the collection, with some comparisons to 2022, when community paediatrics was last benchmarked by the Network.

This review of community paediatric services in England paints a clear picture of a sector under pressure, with children and families facing long waits and significant variation in service delivery. As demand continues to rise delivering services for complex and high-volume caseloads, workforce levels are stretched. As with service models, workforce models vary between services. The findings indicate that action is needed to ensure that every child and young person can access timely, high-quality care when they need it most.

The data collection exercise and metrics collected were designed in conjunction with a clinical advisory group made up of a range of colleagues working in or with community paediatrics, many thanks to colleagues for supporting the delivery of this project. Thank you as well to all the organisations that took part in the data collection, enabling an examination of community paediatric services.

For participants of the data collection the full selection of metrics can be found on the online toolkit.

Download the summary report

NHS Benchmarking Network Welcomes Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust as New Host Organisation

We are delighted to announce Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust (NCH&C) as our new host organisation.

Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust’s belief that people are better looked after locally aligns closely with our mission to support improvement and share best practice across the NHS.

As the UK’s first standalone NHS Community Trust to achieve a CQC ‘Outstanding’ rating, NCH&C has demonstrated an exceptional track record of compassionate, patient-centred care and innovation.

With services spanning seven community hospitals, GP surgeries, and patients’ own homes, the Trust’s commitment to community, collaboration, and continuous improvement makes them an ideal partner to support our work across the health and care system.

We very much look forward to this new partnership and the opportunities it will bring!

“We are delighted to welcome Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust as the new Host organisation for the network. In addition to having the skills and capabilities to host the network well they already make great use of benchmarking and therefore can serve as a great champion, example and support to others. Thank you also to our outgoing host East London NHS Foundation Trust for a decade of hosting support.”

— Sam Wilde, Chief Finance Officer, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Benchmarking Network Steering Group Co-Chair

If you have any questions regarding this transition, please check out our FAQs below or reach out to us.

FAQs

• What does this change mean for current members, stakeholders and participants? Will there be any disruptions?

  There will be no disruption or change to the current service and experience. Moving forward, invoices will be issued by Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust. Members will receive instructions to set up the Trust as a supplier ahead of the next membership year.

• When does Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust officially become the host?

  Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust officially took over as host on 8th August 2025.

• Will the team managing NHSBN remain the same?

  Yes, the NHSBN Support Team will remain the same.

• Will there be changes to the way data is managed and stored?

  All current processes and policies remain. Norfolk Community Health & Care Trust will replace East London Foundation Trust as the data controller.

• How do I get in touch if I have any questions?

  If you have any questions, please contact enquiry@nhsbenchmarking.nhs.uk.

Annual General Meeting Review

The NHS Benchmarking Network's 2025 Annual General Meeting took place virtually on Monday 16th June, providing a comprehensive overview of the Network’s progress and future direction. NHS Benchmarking Network Steering Group Chair, Sam Wilde, Chief Finance Officer,
Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust welcomed attendees and highlighted the organisation’s core values - Excellence, Respect, and Integrity - alongside updates on leadership changes and ongoing recruitment for a Home Nations Steering Group representative.

Emma Bamber, Associate Director - Member Programme, presented the 2024/25 work programme, showcasing strong member engagement with nearly 900,000 data points collected and 197 member organisations participating. Priorities for the upcoming year include enhancing productivity, addressing health inequalities, and leveraging technology for benchmarking and data validation.

A significant development was the announcement of Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust as the new host organisation, taking over from East London NHS Foundation Trust.

Thank you to East London NHS Foundation Trust for their contributions that have been instrumental in advancing out projects and supporting stakeholders.

The meeting concluded with a presentation from Kevin Fisher, Head of Business Intelligence & Reporting, Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust on the practical application of benchmarking to improve patient outcomes, underlining the value of data-driven improvement in health care delivery.

Thank you to all our members that were able to attend.  For those unable to make it live the recording is available on the members’ area.

Whole Business Team Day Focuses on Customers and Collaboration

The NHS Benchmarking Network held a whole business team day on 10th June, bringing the full team together for a productive and energising session focused on development and team collaboration.

The day began with a business update, providing colleagues with a comprehensive overview of NHSBN’s current progress and future direction.

Understanding our Customers with The Foundation
We were delighted to welcome The Foundation, a consultancy that helps organisations understand and connect with their customers. The thought-provoking session explored how we define our customers and how we can map their decision-making journeys. Through discussions, the session encouraged us to reflect on who our customers are, how they engage with our services, and how we can better meet their needs.

Lego Building Masters
To inject energy and creativity into the day, EML Team Building led a fun and challenging Lego Master Builders activity. This exercise challenged our problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills in a unique and light-hearted way. It offered a great opportunity for cross-team engagement and reminded us of the power of teamwork.

The day was a great opportunity to pause and align around our shared goals and purpose. Thank you to The Foundation and EML Team Building for supporting a dynamic and inspiring session.

NHS Benchmarking Network Announces Change of Network Host

The NHS Benchmarking Network is pleased to announce that Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust (NCH&C) will become our new Network Host, taking over from East London NHS Foundation Trust. This transition was formally announced at our AGM yesterday.​

We would like to express our thanks to East London NHS Foundation Trust for their exceptional support and partnership during their tenure as our Host. Their contributions have been instrumental in advancing our projects and supporting our stakeholders.

Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust will officially take on the role as our Network Host in August 2025. This transition marks an exciting new chapter for the Network as we continue to grow and evolve, further enhancing our benchmarking capabilities and expanding our support for members.​ Keep an eye out for future news introducing Norfolk Community Health and Care Trust, providing insights into their role and vision for the Network moving forward.​

We look forward to this new partnership and the opportunities it will bring.

If you have any questions regarding this transition, please check out our FAQs below or reach out to us.

FAQs

• What does this change mean for current members, stakeholders and participants? Will there be any disruptions?

  There will be no disruption or change to the current service and experience. Moving forward, invoices will be issued by Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust. Members will receive instructions to set up the Trust as a supplier ahead of the next membership year.

• When does Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust officially take over as host?

  Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust will officially take over as host on 8th August 2025.

• Will the team managing NHSBN remain the same after the transition?

  Yes, the NHSBN Support Team will remain the same.

• Will there be changes to the way data is managed and stored?

  All current processes and policies remain. Norfolk Community Health & Care Trust will replace East London Foundation Trust as the data controller.

• How do I get in touch if I have any questions during the transition?

  If you have any questions, please contact enquiry@nhsbenchmarking.nhs.uk.