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The NHS Oversight Framework 2025/26 was published on 26 June 2025, marking a significant reset year for NHS Trust assessment and accountability. This new framework describes a consistent and transparent approach to assessing integrated care boards (ICBs) and NHS Trusts and foundation Trusts, ensuring public accountability for performance and providing a foundation for how NHS England works with systems and providers.
At BCN, we work closely with NHS organisations, so we’ve broken down what the 2025/26 framework means and how Public View is uniquely positioned to enable meaningful benchmarking, giving Trusts clearer insights into performance. The framework replaces the version published in June 2022, which was operational for three years and emphasised system working. This transition comes at a crucial time as the NHS prepares for the upcoming Ten-Year Health Plan, positioning Trusts to demonstrate their performance more effectively whilst aligning with national healthcare strategy objectives.
The framework’s goals are to enhance public accountability for performance and improve the identification of providers that require support to improve. The framework provides NHS England with standardised methods for assessing Trust performance across multiple domains whilst ensuring transparency in how these assessments translate into support mechanisms and improvement initiatives.
The new framework describes a consistent and transparent approach to assessing ICBs and NHS Trusts and foundation Trusts, ensuring public accountability for performance and providing a foundation for how NHS England will work with systems and providers to support improvement. Crucially, ICBs will not receive formal ratings this year, allowing the framework to focus primarily on trust-level assessments whilst system-level oversight approaches continue evolving.
The framework represents a significant shift towards more targeted support models that recognise individual Trust circumstances whilst maintaining consistent performance expectations across the NHS. This balanced approach acknowledges the diverse challenges facing different Trusts whilst preserving the accountability mechanisms necessary for public confidence and continuous improvement.
Trust assessment under the NHS Oversight Framework is designed to capture the full breadth of NHS service delivery. Performance is measured across six domains:
Together, these domains provide a rounded view of Trust performance, rather than focusing on isolated metrics.
Assessments use several mechanisms:
This structure balances consistency across the NHS with the flexibility to recognise the specific circumstances each Trust faces. High-performing organisations gain more autonomy, while those needing improvement receive closer support and monitoring.
The framework implementation follows a structured timeline designed to provide Trusts with clear expectations and sufficient preparation time. June 2025 marked the official framework launch, establishing the assessment criteria and methodology that will guide Trust evaluations throughout the year.
July 2025 delivered initial Trust segmentation decisions, providing organisations with their baseline assessment under the new framework. These initial ratings establish starting points for improvement initiatives whilst highlighting Trusts demonstrating exceptional performance across multiple domains.
Quarterly reviews throughout 2025/26 will monitor Trust progress against their segment expectations, enabling dynamic adjustments to support mechanisms and recognition of improvement achievements. These regular assessments provide opportunities for Trusts to demonstrate enhanced performance whilst ensuring support interventions remain responsive to changing circumstances.
The framework will undergo comprehensive review and potential updates during 2026, incorporating lessons learned from the first year of implementation alongside alignment with the Ten-Year Health Plan objectives. This review process ensures the framework continues evolving to support NHS transformation whilst maintaining effective accountability mechanisms.
Trust segmentation enables comprehensive benchmarking across similar organisations, providing valuable insights into best practices and improvement opportunities. This comparative analysis helps Trusts understand their performance relative to peers whilst identifying specific areas where focused improvement initiatives could deliver significant benefits.
Contextual metrics including health inequalities indicators are tracked and reported but do not directly affect segment scores during 2025/26. This approach recognises the importance of addressing health disparities whilst allowing the framework to establish performance baselines before incorporating these complex factors into formal assessments.
Transparency mechanisms ensure Trust assessments remain accessible to stakeholders including patients, staff, and local communities. Public reporting provides visibility into how Trusts perform across different domains whilst maintaining appropriate confidentiality around commercially sensitive or improvement-focused information.
The benchmarking approach extends beyond simple performance comparisons to include analysis of improvement trajectories, innovation adoption, and collaborative working effectiveness. This comprehensive perspective helps identify Trusts demonstrating excellence in specific areas that could benefit the broader NHS through knowledge sharing and best practice dissemination.
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BCN Healthcare’s Public View software provides Trusts with scorecards and domain-level metrics, helping leaders understand and respond to their oversight segment. The platform serves as a comprehensive benchmarking and performance monitoring solution that helps Trusts navigate the complexities of the NHS Oversight Framework whilst demonstrating their commitment to transparency and continuous improvement.
Scorecards and domain-level metrics enable Trusts to monitor their performance across all framework assessment areas through intuitive dashboards that highlight strengths, identify improvement opportunities, and track progress over time. These visualisations help Trust boards understand their position relative to framework expectations whilst providing clear evidence for improvement initiatives and strategic decision-making.
Integration capabilities enable Trusts to incorporate framework performance data into existing dashboard systems and reporting tools. This integration ensures oversight framework performance monitoring becomes seamlessly embedded within existing management processes rather than requiring additional administrative systems or duplicated reporting efforts.
Customisable reporting functionality allows Trusts to upload local metrics and contextual information that provides additional perspective on their framework performance. This capability allows leadership teams to present comprehensive performance stories that acknowledge local challenges whilst demonstrating their commitment to improvement and accountability.
Public View helps Trusts understand their segment status within the broader context of NHS performance expectations whilst providing tools necessary for effective improvement planning and implementation. By aligning with the NHS shift towards data-driven benchmarking, Public View, supported by BCN Healthcare’s expertise enables Trusts to prepare for oversight reviews and improve transparency. The software translates complex framework requirements into practical guidance that supports Trust leadership in making informed decisions about resource allocation and strategic priorities.
Trust preparation for oversight reviews benefits significantly from comprehensive performance monitoring that identifies potential concerns before formal assessment processes begin. Public View enables Trusts to address performance gaps proactively whilst building evidence portfolios that demonstrate their commitment to excellence across all framework domains.
The software aligns perfectly with the NHS shift towards data-driven benchmarking and evidence-based improvement planning. Rather than relying on subjective assessments or limited performance indicators, Trusts can leverage comprehensive analytical capabilities that support objective decision-making and measurable improvement initiatives.
Strategic planning capabilities help develop improvement roadmaps that address framework requirements whilst supporting broader organisational objectives including patient experience enhancement, staff engagement improvement, and financial sustainability. This integrated approach ensures oversight framework compliance supports rather than detracts from overall performance and community service delivery.
The framework creates both opportunities and responsibilities for leadership teams. Higher segment ratings provide increased autonomy and reduced oversight requirements, enabling Trusts to focus resources on service improvement and innovation rather than compliance reporting and external monitoring.
Lower segment ratings, however, carry serious consequences. They trigger enhanced NHS England involvement, with stricter improvement planning requirements, clear timelines, and potential intervention measures. Public View enables Trusts to track their trajectory, understand precisely what needs to improve, and take the targeted action required to secure segment gains before external measures are imposed.
Trust boards must demonstrate understanding of their framework position whilst developing comprehensive improvement strategies that address identified performance gaps. This requires sophisticated analytical capabilities and strategic planning expertise that many Trusts develop internally or access through specialist platforms and consulting services.
Staff engagement becomes crucial during framework implementation, as performance improvements often require operational changes, new working practices, or enhanced collaboration across departments. Effective change management ensures framework compliance enhances rather than undermines culture and staff satisfaction.
Trusts seeking to excel under the new framework should focus on comprehensive performance monitoring, evidence-based improvement planning, and transparent stakeholder communication. These capabilities enable organisations to demonstrate their commitment to excellence whilst building sustainable improvement processes that benefit patients, staff, and local communities.
As the NHS enters this reset year for oversight, Public View is invaluable for Trusts navigating change. Technology platforms that provide sophisticated analytical capabilities, benchmarking tools, and transparent reporting mechanisms prove essential for Trusts managing framework requirements effectively.
The NHS Oversight Framework represents more than an assessment tool. It provides Trusts with opportunities to demonstrate excellence, access appropriate support, and contribute to NHS transformation whilst maintaining focus on their primary mission of delivering exceptional patient care. Organisations that embrace comprehensive performance monitoring and transparent accountability often discover these approaches enhance their effectiveness far beyond framework compliance requirements.
BCN Healthcare are performance and data specialists with deep experience rooted in the NHS. We provide a suite of software solutions that help Trusts improve and highlight performance, accelerate improvement, and deliver better outcomes for patients.
BCN Healthcare platform portfolio includes:
With a strong track record of supporting the NHS, BCN Healthcare enables Trusts to thrive under the new oversight framework while building sustainable systems for excellence, transparency, and continuous improvement. To learn how BCN Healthcare can support your Trust, get in touch today.
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