Data strategy is often discussed in abstract terms; platforms, pipelines, dashboards. But what happens when lives and public health outcomes are on the line?
For Nuffield Health, the UK’s largest healthcare charity, data is not just a resource, it’s a responsibility. Building outcome frameworks that link directly to patient wellbeing, scaling literacy across thousands of employees, and pioneering advanced analytics are all part of how the organisation drives meaningful impact.
On a recent episode of the Data and AI Mastery podcast, Aidan Innes, Head of Data Standards at Nuffield Health, shared how he built a strategy rooted in purpose, people, and measurable results. His story offers lessons every business leader can apply, whether in healthcare or beyond.
Starting With Impact, Not Data
When many organisations set out to design a data strategy, they begin with the technology stack. Aidan flipped the order.
Instead, he started with the impact: what difference should a programme make to people’s lives? From there, he worked backwards—mapping outcomes, outputs, and inputs to measure along the way.
As he put it: “The easiest way to start with any of this is to start with the impact. What is the newspaper headline in a perfect world? And then work back from that.”
This approach proved especially powerful in Nuffield Health’s COVID-19 rehabilitation programme. Launched in 2020, the initiative helped patients recover more effectively while measuring everything from quality of life to GP visits. The results spoke volumes: in 2024, the charity could evidence a social value of £124 million.
The lesson is clear: anchor your data strategy in purpose. When impact is the North Star, it’s easier to prioritise the right metrics, align leadership, and win trust.
From Outcome Frameworks to Data Strategy
The success of individual programmes quickly raised a bigger question: how could this outcomes-based thinking scale across Nuffield Health’s entire organisation?
Hospitals, gyms, physiotherapy, health assessments, the variety of services meant a variety of data types, from clinical patient records to gym swipe-ins. To make sense of it all, Aidan and his team designed a unified outcomes framework, which became the foundation for Nuffield Health’s broader data strategy.
Crucially, this wasn’t just about technology. It was about embedding data into the mission of building a healthier nation. Every pathway, clinical or non-clinical, needed to show how it improved lives. And to do that required not only systems but also governance and skills.
Investing in People: Data Literacy at Scale
If there’s one theme that runs through Nuffield Health’s journey, it’s that people matter as much as platforms.
For Aidan, data literacy was the fastest way to generate ROI. By using the apprenticeship levy to fund data apprenticeships with Cambridge Spark, the organisation upskilled staff across functions. Within 12–18 months, participants reported an average 20% improvement in efficiency, freeing up time to focus on insights rather than manual tasks.
The benefits were not abstract. In procurement alone, apprentices applied their new skills to save the charity over £1 million.
As Aidan explained: “Data literacy delivers value three times over. It creates quick wins, buys time for less glamorous infrastructure work, and ensures the workforce is ready when full self-service data arrives.”
It’s a reminder that data strategy lives or dies with people. By investing in skills early, organisations can unlock value while laying the groundwork for bigger transformation.
Unlocking Innovation With Advanced Analytics
While data literacy scaled impact across the workforce, advanced analytics opened new horizons.
Nuffield Health’s data science team, led by Dr. Kevin Deighton, developed a case mix adjustment model to fairly compare patient outcomes across consultants, helping improve health equity. They also used analytics to tackle sustainability, proving that hospital theatre air handling units could be safely switched off overnight, saving energy without compromising patient safety.
Both projects show what becomes possible once the foundations of data quality and culture are in place. With reliable data, organisations can move from efficiency gains to industry-leading innovation.
Rethinking the Role of Data
Perhaps Aidan’s most thought-provoking point is his contrarian stance on data itself:
“Data doesn’t save lives or improve health—decisions do, and they are better with data.”
It’s a crucial reminder. Data alone is never the answer. What matters is how organisations use it to guide action, empower people, and serve a larger purpose.
Looking Ahead
Nuffield Health’s journey shows that data strategy is not a technical project but a strategic transformation.
- Start with impact. Define what success looks like for people, not just for systems.
- Build frameworks. Use outcomes to connect individual programmes into organisation-wide strategy.
- Invest in people. Upskilling pays off quickly while preparing for self-service and future innovation.
- Aim for innovation. Once the basics are in place, advanced analytics can drive breakthroughs in equity, efficiency, and sustainability.
For leaders in any sector, these lessons apply. Success in data and AI comes from connecting purpose to practice, and from empowering people to make better decisions at every level.
At Cambridge Spark, we help organisations build exactly this capability, upskilling workforces in Data & AI to deliver measurable business outcomes. From foundational literacy to advanced analytics, our programmes meet people where they are and help them grow. Learn more about how we can support your transformation.
