Digital Health Advisory
Framework Description
Digital Health Advisory is NHS Shared Business Services' framework for specialist digital, data and technology expertise in clinical and healthcare settings. Four lots cover clinical digital consulting, delivery and workforce augmentation, clinical data science and population health analytics, and digital skills training. Applications for this framework are closed, and it runs to 24 March 2028, with no extension.
Context & Use Case
The NHS is adopting electronic patient records, computer-assisted diagnosis and other digital tools faster than it can build in-house skills, which can affect patient safety. Trusts and health and social care bodies use the framework to bring in design and delivery advice, temporary specialists to fill skills gaps, data engineers and analysts, or training to upskill their own digital teams.
Scope of Services
Lot 1: Specialist clinical and healthcare digital consulting Lot 2: Clinical and digital health delivery and augmentation Lot 3: Clinical data science and population health analytics Lot 4: Digital skills in healthcare
Lots
Lot 1: Specialist clinical and healthcare digital consulting This lot is specific to services provided in the clinical and healthcare environment, including specialist consultancy and advisory services related to the design, application, and delivery of clinical and healthcare solutions in health and social care settings using digital technologies. Lot 2: Clinical and digital health delivery and augmentation Provides specialist services to support and develop the transformation of digital solutions, systems, and application capabilities within a clinical and healthcare environment by providing temporary, high-quality resources to supplement the NHS digital workforce with skills not available in-house. Lot 3: Clinical data science and population health analytics Provides specialist services to advise and support the development of data architecture and information management structures and strategies within a clinical and healthcare environment. Solutions include data science capability, applying data science in practice, and translating data into patient benefit, with skills in data engineering, statistical analysis, machine learning models, and data visualisation. Lot 4: Digital skills in healthcare Provides specialist services that enable the upskilling and development of technical and related skills to the digital workforce in a clinical and healthcare environment. The purpose of this lot is to provide training and knowledge transfer packages to NHS organisations for the enhancement or development of digital skills.
Who Can Apply
It suits digital health consultancies, clinical informatics specialists, data science firms and digital training providers. Applications for this framework are closed, so firms not appointed cannot join until the re-tender, likely around 24 March 2028.
Buyer Benefits
Buyers get quick, affordable access to scarce clinical digital skills without long recruitment. Lot 2 fills short-term gaps in programmes, Lot 3 turns data into patient benefit through analytics and machine learning, and Lot 4 builds lasting in-house capability so reliance on contractors falls over time.
Next Steps
Appointed suppliers should prepare for call-offs with clinical safety credentials, named specialists and outcome-focused case studies. Others should prepare for the re-tender ahead of 24 March 2028: watch the Digital Health Advisory page on the NHS SBS site, choose lots that fit your strengths, and gather NHS digital programme references.
How Athena Can Help
For digital consultancies on this framework, Athena's digital bid writing turns technical delivery into scored answers that clinical and commercial evaluators can both follow, with pricing models for day-rate and outcome-based call-offs.
If you are aiming at the 2028 re-tender, our framework strategy service helps choose between consulting, augmentation, data science and skills lots and prepares case studies early, and our bid/no-bid tools keep your bid effort on winnable NHS work.
