Image source: Greater London Authority
London’s chief digital officer has called for local government to explore how the principles of open banking could be applied to the exchange of data in the sector.
Theo Blackwell made the point in a blogpost on a series of issues on how better use can be made of local data to support the devolution of government powers.
He also said there is a big opportunity in combining NHS patient care records with other sources of data.
His suggestions on learning from open banking – under which UK banks are required to allow customers to share their financial data with authorised providers – reflect its potential to improve data accessibility and innovation.
It has fed into one of his core recommendations for policy makers, to “investigate how insights from the UK’s open banking innovation can be applied to local government data exchange”.
This would include adapting the principles – already prominent in the public sector – of consent based data sharing, standardised frameworks, APIs, data security and interoperability in the context of local government.
“Striking a challenge between ‘decentralised yet coordinated’ is the biggest challenge and where open banking in the financial sector is interesting to explore as a model,” he said.
Blackwell also highlighted the wealth of medical data in the NHS Care Records Service and the impending launch of the London Data Service, which will provide linked data on 10.7 million patients in the capital for healthcare and research.
Understanding context
“When combined with social, housing and environmental data from local authorities, we can start to understand the social and environmental context of patients, potentially leading to more effective measures and improved health outcomes,” he said.
“With a broader view of people’s lives, healthcare professionals can focus on preventative healthcare measures, and early identification of risk factors or health can lead to more timely interventions and better management of chronic conditions.”
His other main recommendations included a revision of the UK Government’s National Data Strategy to cover all levels of government, with a framework for efficient data sharing among local authorities.
These reflect what he conveyed as a shortcoming in the city deals on devolution, which have overlooked the importance of data sharing between councils, and an “oblique commitment” by central government to local government data in the strategy.
Framework, priorities and incentives
Other recommendations are for a new legislative framework for data, the prioritisation of data infrastructure, and incentivisation of the development of new service delivery models.
Areas in which these could have a big effect include social care, environmental initiatives and supporting vulnerable people through the cost of living crisis, Blackwell said.
He added that robust safeguards should be in place, with key measures including data minimisations, consent requirements, data protection impact assessments and formal data sharing agreements.
