Member Work Programme

The Network’s member work programme comprises of a wide range of benchmarking projects on topics covering but not limited to: Pharmacy, Outpatients, Virtual Wards, Children and Young People’s and Adult & Older People’s Mental Health. Members can look forward to engaging projects, interactive events and insightful data aimed at addressing key challenges and delivering opportunities across all sectors of the NHS. The member work programme is approved by the Network Steering Group following extensive consultations with the sector based Reference Groups and with members on the topics to be included in the programme.

Our projects are split into:

Every member project produces: a benchmarking findings event, benchmarking project report, an online toolkit and a range of outputs including case studies.

Insight members receive engagement sessions, improvement opportunity reports, dedicated Network support and support packages which cover data quality, data interpretation and utilisation of data.

To download the 2025/26 member work programme timetable, click here.

Indicators Projects/Products



Acute Indicators

Online dashboard using nationally available data for English Acute Trusts

An interactive dashboard is available for English Acute Trusts that offers a concise yet insightful overview of each Trust’s structure and performance, using data from nationally available sources. By benchmarking against all other Acute Trusts in England, this dashboard facilitates a deeper understanding of your Trust’s unique position, identifying both strengths and areas for improvement.

Example metrics include:


Example metrics include:

  • Emergency care waiting times

  • Elective care waiting times

  • Cancer waiting times

  • Diagnostic waiting times

Community Indicators

Monthly data collection project for any providers of community services

  • Referrals received

  • Waiting times

  • Pressure ulcer acquired

  • Referrals received

  • Productivity measures

  • Waiting times

  • Bed Occupancy

  • Mortality

  • Sickness absence

  • Staff leaver rate

This monthly data collection project includes over 40 metrics. Covering patient safety and quality, access,  productivity, workforce and finance, to track ongoing changes in the delivery of community services, community hospitals and intermediate care. Participants are able to see how they compare to their peers each month, as well as seeing how their trend over time compares to the sample trend. PDF reports are produced monthly as well as the online data explorer.


MHLDA Indicators

Quarterly data collection project for any providers of Mental Health services, reporting on monthly data.

Example metrics include:

National Indicators

  • Bed occupancy

  • DNA rates

  • Contacts delivered

  • Caseload size

  • Bed occupancy rate

  • Discharge rate

This quarterly data collection project commenced in April 2020 as a COVID-19 dashboard, enabling participants to track the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, CYPMHS and learning disabilities services, both within their organisation and in comparison to the wider UK dataset. The month-on-month data is collected quarterly, enabling participants to see month-on-month trends, for themselves and the sample.

  • Maternity Care inc. equitable access

  • Friends and Family Test responses

  • Length of stay

  • Sickness absence

  • Vacancy rate

As well as other metrics including Cost Improvements Plans, use of virtual contacts, use of bank and agency staff, medication errors and falls.

Quarterly collection project

  • Admission rate

  • Length of stay


Online dashboard using nationally available data for England

The National Indicators data explorer draws from around 40 publicly available data sources, presenting the information in a series of easy-to-navigate charts. By bringing together multiple data sources, you are easily able to interrogate a range of data at once. The aim of the National Indicators Tool is to support healthcare leaders in developing strategic planning operational priorities such as quality improvement and transformation programmes. 

NB. The tool currently includes majority English data, but we are working with colleagues in Wales to incorporate Welsh data, there are already a limited selection of metrics available. The hope is to include Northern Irish and Scottish data in the future.

The online interactive tool includes over 800 metrics


Annual Projects/Products


Adult Community Services Project

Community project for any providers of adult community services

Adult community services have been benchmarked over many years by NHSBN. 2025 sees the introduction of a dedicated Adult Community Services project. Focusing on activity and workforce this project enables members to compare a selection of their key community services.

The services within the scope of this project are:

  • Occupational Therapy

  • Physiotherapy

  • Podiatry

Community project for any providers of district nursing services

National data sources output


The provision of outpatient services varies greatly between providers with regard to clinic size, clinic scope, workforce composition and provision processes. The project aims to benchmark outpatient access, capacity, activity and workforce with similar size and types of outpatient services across the United Kingdom.

  • Workforce size

  • Skill mix

  • Vacancy rate

This project provides outpatients insights at the organisation level and specialty level, looking further into clinic delivery, follow-up activity and the use of PIFU.


Full data collection for providers of acute hospital pharmacy & workforce snapshot data collection for providers of mental health hospital pharmacy.

The main data collection looks at pharmacy provision by acute providers. Looking at the pharmacy departments workforce, processes, finance and interaction involvement with other services. The project has been developed in conjunction with national stakeholders including NHSE. For 2025/26 we are trialling the addition of a separate section that will collect a snapshot of mental health pharmacy workforce.

  • Workforce size

  • Skill mix

  • Vacancy rate

As well as digital, medicines information, antimicrobials, research & clinical trials, medicines safety and virtual wards.


Acute and community sector project for any providers of Virtual Wards

As Virtual Wards and Hospital at Home services are increasingly implemented nationwide, this project was developed in response to member feedback to address data gaps and gather comprehensive insights on virtual ward provision.

Through surveys and reviews, the project provides a unique 360-degree perspective on virtual wards. Now in its second iteration, it will build on the initial data collection, offering a more in-depth analysis of service models.

  • Workforce profile

  • Workforce size

  • Vacancy rate

Alongside the service numerical data collected in the Ward Overview section, the Virtual Ward project also uses surveys to offer a comprehensive 360 picture of the services:

Staff Survey

Examples metrics include:

Intermediate Care Project

  • Cardiac

  • Dietetics

  • Musculoskeletal (MSK)

  • Service users on caseload

  • Waiting time to 1st contact

  • Waiting time to 2nd contact

Data domains:

  • Capacity & Access

  • Finance

  • Quality & Outcomes

  • Population Health

  • Workforce

  • Activity

Key themes:

  • Children’s Health

  • Urgent Care

  • Cancer

  • Respiratory Conditions

  • Frailty

  • Integrated Primary Care

  • CORE20PLUS5

  • Total contacts

  • Use of non-face-to-face contacts

Adult and Older People’s Mental Health Project

Mental Health sector project for any providers of adult services

Example metrics include:

The services within the scope of this project are:

  • Health Visiting

  • Occupational Therapy

  • Physiotherapy

Example metrics include:

  • Caseload size

  • Total contacts

  • Mandated reviews

Example metrics include:

  • Referrals received

  • Referral acceptance rate

  • Waiting times

  • 0-19

  • Children’s Community Nursing

  • Dietetics

  • Referrals received

  • Referrals received over time

  • Waiting times

Emergency Care Project

  • Referrals received

  • Waiting times

  • Caseload volumes

District Nursing Project

  • Referrals received

  • Referral acceptance rate

  • Source of referral

  • Frailty Screening

  • CGA

  • Opening Hours

  • Indexing Comparisons

Example acute metrics include:

  • Medicines spend

  • Time spent on clinical

  • Medicines shortages

Virtual Wards Project

National Cost Collection Report

  • Admission rate

  • Bed occupancy

  • Length of stay

  • Follow-up to first attendance ratio

  • % of clinics delivered

Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation Project

  • Prescription turnaround

  • Homecare

  • Dispensing

Children’s Community Services Project

Over 140 tags including:

  • Admissions

  • Appoints in GPs

  • Depression

  • Environment and Neighbourhood

  • Local Authority

  • Urgent Care

  • Mental Health

Respiratory

Speech and Language therapy

  • Workforce size

  • Skill mix

  • Vacancy rate


The NHS Adult and Older People’s Mental Health Benchmarking Project tracks over 11,000 metrics, covering areas like inpatient care, community services, crisis support, and clinical outcomes. It helps mental health providers assess their performance in productivity, efficiency, quality, finances, and workforce.

  • Workforce size

  • Skill mix

  • Vacancy rate

As well as patient demographics, activity, service model, finance, patient safety, and outcomes metrics.


Community project for any providers of children’s community services

We have benchmarked children's community services for many years, evolving through various projects. This year, we unify all children’s community services benchmarked in 2024 into the Children’s Community Services project. Giving participants insight into their community provision for children.

As well as service model, types of contacts, workforce qualifications and outcomes.

The project includes activity and workforce data for community and inpatient CYPMHS services. Community services covered include general, MHST, eating disorders, crisis, forensic, specialist teams, ASD, ADHD, and neurodiversity. Inpatient services include general admission (children and adolescents), eating disorders, PICU, low secure, medium secure, and others.

Example metrics include:

Example metrics include:

Acute and community project for any providers of emergency care services

Example metrics include:

  • Attendances

  • Length of stay

  • Admittance rate

Example metrics include:

  • Awareness and training

  • Length of stay

  • Readmissions

  • Admission rate

  • Bed occupancy

  • Length of stay

Example metrics include:

  • Caseload size

  • Caseload turnover

  • Time on caseload

As well as activity, service model, finance, digital, and outcomes metrics.

  • Discharge method

  • Availability

  • Treatment spaces

As well as activity, service model, finance and quality metrics.

Community project for any providers of community services

Example metrics include:

  • Referrals received

  • Step up vs step down

  • Source of referral

  • Clinical case review data

  • PREM data

As well as activity, service model, finance, digital, and outcomes metrics.

Frailty in a Bed-Based Setting

Acute and community sector project for providers of bed-based frailty services

  • Number of admissions

  • Patients profile

  • Safety metrics

  • Admissions

  • Length of stay

  • Discharge pathways

Learning Disability Specialist Services (LDSS) Project

Mental Health sector project for any providers of learning disability specialist services

  • School Nursing

  • Speech and Language Therapy

  • Workforce size

  • Skill mix

  • Vacancy rate


Children and Young People’s Mental Health Project

Mental Health sector project for any providers of children’s services

  • Workforce size

  • Skill mix

  • Vacancy rate

As well as activity, service model, finance, digital, and outcomes metrics.


District Nursing has been benchmarked by the Network for over 10 years, most recently as a standalone project, providing a focused deep dive into district nursing services, the challenges facing these services and where service model varies.

Report produced using national data for English Acute Trusts.

  • Potential cost savings

Acute sector project for any providers with an outpatient department

  • Workforce size

  • Skill mix

  • Vacancy rate


The Emergency Care Project has run annually since 2012, benchmarking various clinical areas, including (but not limited to) Type 1 and 2 emergency departments, Type 3 centres, Acute Medical Units (AMUs), and Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) services. Aligned with the national initiative to shift healthcare into the community and alleviate pressure on Type 1 and 2 units, the project will enhance its Type 3 outputs in 2025.

  • Referrals received

  • PIFU

  • Advice & guidance activity

Example metrics from the Ward Overview collection include:

  • Bed numbers

  • Operating hours

  • Links to other services

Clinical Case Review

  • Management of Frailty

  • Referrals

  • Bed occupancy

PREM Survey

Friends and Family Survey

  • Workforce size

  • Skill mix

  • Vacancy rate


The NHSBN National Cost Collection Analysis is a member level report that examines the NHS National Cost Collections data. The aim of the NHSBN analysis is to make the dataset more accessible and enable the reader to quickly understand what the data says about their organisation’s overall financial management.

Monthly collection project

The Intermediate Care project builds on the work of the National Audit of Intermediate Care. The clinical case review enables services to benchmark patient outcomes using the Sunderland Score and the Modified Barthel Index. By combining this data with service overview information, members can identify opportunities for service improvement.

Outpatients Project

  • Workforce size

  • Skill mix

  • Vacancy rate


  • Workforce size

  • Skill mix

  • Vacancy rate


Building on the success of Managing Frailty in an Acute Setting, which the network has run for 10 years, the Managing Frailty in a Bed-Based Setting project will enable comparisons of patient outcomes and service models across all bed-based settings.

The clinical case review provides a more detailed analysis of a patient cohort, allowing for a deeper evaluation and improvement of patient outcomes.

Example metrics include:

  • Workforce size

  • Skill mix

  • Clinical Case Review


Across a range of areas of hospital provision, the National Cost Collection reports summarises:

This project aims to gather and benchmark comparable data across the whole service area; patient profile, finance, safety & feedback, to give a comprehensive view of the national position, enabling comparison to your organisational position.
The project collects data on service baseline, adult inpatient, adult community, children’s inpatient and children’s community services.