About the dataset
The NHS Benchmarking Network's 2026 Intermediate Care project is the sixth iteration of the project, having been run annually since 2020. The project benchmarks data submitted by providers of intermediate care, covering urgent community response, home-based intermediate care and bed-based intermediate care.
The project monitors key metrics, such as the two-hour and two-day response targets for intermediate care services, along with other key metrics outlined in the NICE guidance for intermediate care.
The data specification and outputs will be tailored to align with this and other applicable home nations' key policies, such as NHS England's intermediate care framework for rehabilitation, reablement and recovery following hospital discharge (September 2023) and the Welsh Government's Six Goals for Urgent and Emergency Care (February 2022), while also maintaining continuity with previous project iterations where possible.
Surveys run in this data collection
Patient, staff and clinical perspectives
Clinical case reviews
Benchmark patient outcomes using the Sunderland Score and the Modified Barthel Index, and see how patients improve during their time in the service
PREM survey
A short survey for patients within the service, offering a patient perspective alongside the wider data..
Staff survey
A greater understanding of the experience of those working within the service.
Meet the team
Kaitlyn Biggs
Delivery Manager, Intermediate Care Dataset
Key themes
Activity
Contact
Key performance indicators
including referral assessment
Workforce
Establishment vs in post
Skill mix
Productivity
Patient flow
Workforce efficiency
Service sustainability
Management of people living with frailty
Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment
Clinical Frailty Score
"The benchmarking dataset allowed us to compare our performance against services across the country and use the insights gained to optimise staffing levels. Comparing staffing ratios and skill mix with other services enables us to review our workforce model to allow effective resource allocation."
Extract from the Shared Learning Compendium
Since 2020
run annually, with continuity across project iterations
3 surveys
clinical case review, PREM and staff survey