PHIN postpones publication of new data measures

The Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) has postponed the publication of hospital and consultant measures for the latest quarter due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The measures, which include activity volumes, infection rates and outcomes, will not be refreshed in June as planned and the website will continue to show data submitted from 1 October 2018 to 30 September 2019.

PHIN said it would not be appropriate to refresh the measures at a time when many hospitals have redeployed colleagues who would normally support the submission and data checking processes to other areas. The move has been endorsed by the CMA and will be flagged to website visitors.

Director of member services Jonathan Finney said that while transparency and outcomes in private healthcare remain important, hospitals had to prioritise supporting the NHS tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.

‘We have decided not to press ahead with the next refresh of measures on our website to allow hospitals and consultants to focus their support on the NHS,’ he said. ‘However, consultants are still able to visit the PHIN Portal to update their profiles and submit their fee information.’

Hospitals can also continue to submit data to PHIN, which will maintain all reports via the Portal as normal.