Enhancing public health contract management with Ardens Manager

While recommissioning their public health contracts, Wiltshire Council’s public health team saw an opportunity to reduce reliance on intensive manual processes which presented challenges with data accuracy, time consumption and level of insight.

The challenge

Like many other councils, Wiltshire Council faced several complexities in public health contract management:

• Data accuracy & insights – The team relied on manual data extraction into Excel spreadsheets every quarter, which made it difficult to gain valuable insights, such as demographic trends. There was also no easy way to verify the accuracy of the data, with the possibility that non-commissioned activities—like LARC fittings for non-contraceptive purposes—could be included, making monitoring and payments more complex.

• Time-consuming processes: Collecting and processing data manually was often a labour-intensive task for both the council and service providers. This created potential inefficiencies and possible delays to the payment process.

• Planning & budgeting challenges: With this data only available quarterly, forecasting budgets and making informed decisions on future services could be a challenge.

The solution

During their recommissioning process, Wiltshire Council contacted Ardens to discuss accurate coding for service specifications. In the process, they discovered that Ardens Manager offered a way to streamline and improve their contract management.

Ardens allows councils to record, track and benchmark primary care data for public health contracts in one place. The insight gained from using Ardens Manager allows councils to make data-driven decisions, ensuring resources are focused on where they can have the biggest impact on population health.

Wiltshire Council is working collaboratively with the Ardens team to develop their bespoke public health contract management dashboard, fully tailored to their needs, service specifications and local payments.

The impact

Ardens Manager will make a real difference for Wiltshire Council’s public health contract management, bringing several key benefits:

• More accurate data – The system ensures that the data collected is precise and reflects actual service activity, with automatic data extraction thanks to Ardens’ integration with EMIS Web and SystmOne. This means the council only pays for commissioned services, avoiding unnecessary costs, and the Ardens support team is on hand to help both providers and the council with any discrepancies.

• Better use of time – Ardens Manager has significantly reduced the time the public health team spends on manual data processes. Instead of chasing submissions, the team can now work towards analysing data and continuing development of services that truly make an impact.

• Strategic approach to public health – The team can take a more strategic approach to public health as decision-making is informed by accurate data and backed by detailed demographic insights from Ardens Manager.

• Easier payments – Access to near-real-time data has allowed the council to move to monthly payments to providers. This makes budgeting and financial planning smoother for the council while giving providers more stability in managing their income.

Conclusion

Ardens Manager has provided the opportunity to streamline and enhance the Wiltshire public health team's approach to contract management, providing accurate, real-time data and enabling a strategic focus on public health outcomes.

Through ongoing work tailored to the council’s and providers’ needs and in-depth demographic analysis, the team has been empowered to enhance service delivery and planning.

By partnering with Ardens and implementing Ardens Manager, Wiltshire Council is aiming to transform the way it manages public health contracts. The data-driven system provides accurate insights, streamlines payments, and enables evidence-based decision-making.

With access to real-time, reliable data, the council can now focus on strategic planning and service improvements rather than administrative processes. This not only enhances financial management but also ensures that public health resources are directed where they are needed most, ultimately improving health outcomes for the local community.

Testimonial

Public Health Principal, Wiltshire Council:

"Ardens Manager has significantly improved our contract management and payment processes, particularly for our long-acting reversible contraception service for which we received no demographic data previously. The ability to access real-time data has allowed us to forecast better and manage our budgets more effectively. The demographic insights provided will be invaluable in identifying service gaps and planning future services. We’ve had ongoing collaboration with Ardens, allowing us to tailor the system to our specific needs and ensuring data accuracy that was previously unattainable with manual processes."