Over the past 2 and a half years, Community Health Partnerships (CHP) has worked closely with and on behalf of NHS England (NHSE) to develop the Activity Driven Estates Planning Tool (ADEPT) to support Infrastructure planning at a whole system level.
The ADEPT tool enables strategic system planning across four care settings:
- Acute
- mental health
- primary and
- community.
The purpose of ADEPT is to support system planning and identify priorities at a local level to help understand:
- How healthcare demand, capacity, and estate utilisation vary across neighbourhoods, places, and systems
- how much space is required, informed by activity and local population health demand-led space planning, including assumptions on shifts, digital, clinical pathway redesign, growth and the ability to compare three scenarios; do nothing, do minimum, do maximum
- is space in the right place aligning to population health and inequalities
- identify how much capital is required in support of long-term transformation
Through data, it highlights the activity shift across care settings, the corresponding space requirements and the gaps and surplus in estates to meet future service delivery demand.
Four main objectives were agreed between CHP and NHSE as part of the project brief: design and development, rollout and delivery, CHP leading the design and completing a comparative review against work done in Lincolnshire.
Working in collaboration with two early adopter systems, this was piloted in Birmingham and Solihull and Bath and North-East Somerset, Swindon & Wiltshire, in the first phase and a further three systems – Coventry & Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Derbyshire, in the second, CHP led the ADEPT project with these goals and objectives in mind.
The Darzi Report highlighted that the shift towards neighbourhood level, multidisciplinary care will only be possible with significant modernisation of existing estate and better use of space. Achieving this requires new ways of working, modern operating models and targeted capital investment to transform how care is delivered. The ADEPT Tool helps quantify the level of capital required to address gaps in the estate and supports informed, systemwide planning for this shift.
For too long, healthcare infrastructure planning has struggled with fragmented information. Across the Midlands and beyond, the estate varies significantly in condition, ranging from modern multi-purpose hubs to aging facilities that no longer fit the clinical models they house. Without a “whole system” view, it is difficult to determine if services are in the right place to tackle health inequalities or if space is being utilised to its full potential to increase productivity throughout the NHS.
Impact in Action: Lessons from the Midlands
In systems like Northamptonshire and Coventry & Warwickshire, the tool identified that strategic investment in primary and community care can lead to long-term capital savings by reducing the overall space gap.
It also highlighted opportunities for reconfiguration, showing that in many cases, the challenge isn’t just about building more space, but about using the right space, in the right health centre, more effectively. Using an innovative technological one stop shop allows users to access the information they need quickly, rather than having to complete a full data gathering exercise.
Looking Ahead: The future of ADEPT and data driven models for the NHS
As the ADEPT programme formally transitioned to NHS England in December 2025, its legacy is just beginning. The tool has evolved from a complex set of models into a streamlined, singular point of information The success of the pilot has made information more accessible for systems to use independently, providing even greater analytical visuals and real-time modelling capabilities.
Tools such as ADEPT will support wider programmes, such as CHP’s PACE (Productivity Acceleration in Community Estates) programme, a national initiative to prioritise the delivery of opportunities to increase productivity across the LIFT estate. CHP will continue to work with and support ICBs and Trusts in their strategic initiatives to identify potential opportunities.
Working collaboratively with Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) and their partners, the PACE programme focuses on maximising efficiency, improving patient throughput, and ensuring the continued delivery of high-quality healthcare services within local communities.
As systems work towards creating a Neighbourhood Health Service and delivering the Government’s three shifts, it is crucial that existing estate, such as LIFT facilities are fully utilised to support the delivery of care at a local level.
Using data to drive productivity
The success of ADEPT highlights the importance of accurate and up to date data to support evolving healthcare needs. By embedding these tools into transformation programmes, we can ensure that every square metre of the NHS estate is working toward a healthier future for our communities and supporting the Government’s mission to move more care closer to home and the development of a Neighbourhood Health Service across many communities.
The ADEPT project shows what is possible when data is used effectively across the CHP LIFT and wider NHS estate. The tool demonstrates how data and technology can support the mission to deliver more healthcare closer to home for the people who need it most. The response to the pilot has been extremely positive, and we will continue to use every asset available to us to increase productivity and deliver a truly neighbourhood-focused health service.
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Get in touch with your CHP Regional Director and regional Property and Operations team to find out how they can support clinical services at CHP buildings providing high-quality, modern, core NHS facilities for patients in their local communities.
