ARDEN'S HEALTH INFORMATICS LIMITED

Ardens Manager

Ardens Manager is a decision support and data analytics platform that allows GP Practices, PCNs, ICBs and other Organisations to monitor, aggregate and benchmark activity across service management dashboards. This includes health checks, long term conditions, demand management, workforce planning, referral data, national and local contractual performance management.

Features

• Benchmarking performance across primary care
• Real-time service reports and dashboards to monitor performance
• Management of tasks and responsibilities in the GP practice
• Safety alerts to simply risk management
• Long-term planning and management of patient cohorts
• Monitoring of data quality, QOF, national and local contracts
• Contract management for GP practices and commissioners
• Simple identification and management of incorrectly coded patients
• Workforce planning using role based reports and dashboards
• Scheduled and unscheduled demand forecasting

Benefits

• Enable time saving, data driven insights to inform decision making
• Commissioners save time through reporting, data submissions and monitoring payments
• Increases contractual income through real time monitoring of target achievement
• Improves patient safety through alerts and quicker diagnoses
• Areas for improvement can be identified through performance benchmarking
• Standardised care across teams and groups of practices
• Draft, review and sign contracts
• Reduce administrative costs
• Better rota planning, skill gap identification and staff appraisals
• Improved demand management through monitoring appointments, routine and unscheduled care

£0.18 to £0.36 a unit a year

• Free trial available

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at accounts@ardens.org.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

327357725375324

Contact

Dr Nazmul Kamal
01725 762062
accounts@ardens.org.uk

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: No
• Cloud deployment model: Private cloud
• Service constraints: Ardens Manager is accessed through a supported browser, including Google Chrome (recommended), Firefox, Edge, and Safari. ; ; Planned maintenance is carried out outside of working hours to avoid disruption to users.
• System requirements: Supported browser - Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: A summary of response times can be found at https://www.ardens.org.uk/key-performance-indicators/. Ardens aim to respond to all support requests within 3 working days of receipt. Serious incidents will be acknowledged within 4 hours of occurrence and resolved within 2 working days (excluding issues outside of Ardens' control). Urgent Change Requests including updates & issues will be completed within 5 working days and non-urgent change requests within 20 working days. The Ardens Support Desk is operational Monday to Friday and response times are likely to vary at the weekends.
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: No
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: Web chat
• Web chat support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support accessibility standard: None or don’t know
• How the web chat support is accessible: Users can:; Access via mobile; Multilanguage support; Receive sound notifications when a new message is received; ; Users cannot: ; Navigate through keyboard shortcuts; Access without the internet; Upload files to the chat - this is routed via email for security reasons
• Web chat accessibility testing: None at present.
• Onsite support: Onsite support
• Support levels: All of Ardens customers have access to the same support levels. The expert Support Desk is available from 08:00-18:00 Monday – Friday and they are responsible for answering customer queries. Further support can be provided depending on customer need, such as customising Ardens Manager dashboards to meet specific, local contract reporting requirements. ; ; All customers have access to: ; • Webinars ; • Users guides ; • Online forums and Facebook group chats discussing Ardens ; • Email support ; • Support Desk ; • Post-implementation Support Team
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: To help users start using the service, Ardens provide an initial training session, providing an overview of the resources available. This session is one hour and can be offered onsite or remotely. In addition to this service, users are pointed to Ardens Academy, an online learning platform, consisting of bitesize training modules, quizzes and certificates of achievement. The Training Team run monthly new starter training remotely, for new staff joining the practice throughout the year. ; ; All customers have access to: ; • Webinars ; • User guides ; • Online forums and Facebook group chats ; • Email support ; • The Support Desk ; • The post-implementation Support Team.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: Ardens are committed to clients having access to their data even if they decide to end their contract. At the end of the contract the data controller (e.g. GP Practice) can export their data through the Ardens Manager Interface.
• End-of-contract process: At the end of the contract, a termination email is sent to the client, including the date that the service will end. The customer is able to choose from a number of options, this ranges from continuing with a different subscription choice or exporting & deleting data from the platform. No charge is made for this.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
• Application to install: No
• Designed for use on mobile devices: No
• Service interface: No
• User support accessibility: None or don’t know
• API: No
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: Ardens Manager offers a local contracts service, which is customisable to the local circumstances of a Practice or Group.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: Ardens Manager can support a large number of concurrent users. Heavily over-provisioned environments are in place, with auto scaling groups to deal with additional users as needed. Ardens monitor the user base closely and have the ability to add capacity very quickly if required.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: A range of service metrics for users can be provided on request, including reporting on uptime and usage.
• Reporting types:
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: None

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations: United Kingdom
• User control over data storage and processing locations: No
• Datacentre security standards: Managed by a third party
• Penetration testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Penetration testing approach: ‘IT Health Check’ performed by a Tigerscheme qualified provider or a CREST-approved service provider
• Protecting data at rest: Physical access control, complying with CSA CCM v3.0
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type: Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
• Equipment disposal approach: Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v.30, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: Users can export data relevant to their role-based permissions. This includes exporting CSV or PDF summaries of aggregated non-patient identifiable data for planning, commissioning or business intelligence purposes. For users with access to patient-identifiable data, patient lists can be exported for onward use.
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • ODF
  • Other
• Other data export formats: Excel
• Data import formats: CSV

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • Private network or public sector network
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
• Data protection within supplier network:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
  • Legacy SSL and TLS (under version 1.2)

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: Ardens Manager has uptime of over 99.98% over the last 12 months. In the unlikely event of a significant outage of management functions, Ardens will compensate clients with service credits.
• Approach to resilience: Ardens cloud services are securely hosted on a UK based server, with an SLA in place to guarantee resilience within the server environment. ; ; Ardens resilience protocol and safeguards are available on request.
• Outage reporting: Ardens report any significant outages to clients as quickly as possible, and within 60 minutes as a maximum. They are alerted via webpage notifications, emails and the Ardens Chat Facebook group.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Access to the platform and its hosting management environment itself is limited by roles and Access Control Lists, and controlled by Single Sign On and multifactor authentication.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least once a year
• Management access authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
  • Username or password

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
• How long system logs are stored for: At least 12 months

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: The British Assessment Bureau
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 02/02/2024
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: All aspects were in scope, no exclusions.
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: Yes
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications: NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: ISO/IEC 27001
• Information security policies and processes: Ardens meet the requirements of the NHS Digital Data Security and Protection Toolkit and are fully accredited with ISO27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus. A range of policies and procedures support the security of the system. These are available to clients on request. ; ; All staff are trained on security as part of their induction, and receive regular training updates to ensure continued compliance. Role based access is used to strictly limit access to sensitive parts of the system. Appropriate pre-employment checks, including DBS are carried out. Ardens' reporting structure is in line with the relevant security policy. ; ; Ardens' SIRO is a member of the Board, and has responsibility for identifying and mitigating risks. Overall, the Chief Executive has overall responsibility for security, supported by individual product leads.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Configuration and change management approach: Ardens' change management process is handled through Jira. When changes to a component are requested a ticket is generated containing information regarding impact, testing procedures, acceptance criteria, roll back procedures and any post deployment verifications required. ; ; Work is conducted and stored within an enterprise class version control system, with tests included as part of any new feature. Code is written according to secure coding guidelines, and peer reviewed by at least two senior team members before being merged in to the main branch for deployment to a QA environment, where it is retested before going to production.
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: Ardens' platform is hosted within AWS, who provide multiple levels of support to secure their infrastructure. This environment is monitored in AWS using Guard Duty and Security Hub, and all updates are patched in regularly. ; ; The physical network is protected by a 3rd party Security Operations Centre, monitored 24x7, as well as Ardens' in-house team. Microsoft 365 Security Centre is also used, which informs - in real time - of vulnerabilities discovered in the wild, as well as providing threat intelligence. Vulnerabilities that are part of the normal patch cycle happen within two weeks, urgent changes immediately.
• Protective monitoring type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Protective monitoring approach: The platform is hosted within AWS, protected by a Web Application Firewall. Ardens monitor activity within the system environment in AWS Guard Duty, which proactively informs of unusual activity. ; ; For the platform, there is the ability to Hotfix in changes to plug gaps very quickly using rapid deployment processes. Platforms also undergo regular penetration testing and all code is written according to secure coding guidelines. ; ; For physical networks within Ardens' offices, 24x7 monitoring from a 3rd party Security Operations Centre is provisioned, on top of the in house team. A compromised machine can be remotely removed from the network immediately.
• Incident management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example, CSA CCM v3.0 or ISO/IEC 27035:2011 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Incident management approach: Ardens is a ISO27001-certified company and compliant with the Data Security and Protection Toolkit. All appropriate incident management processes are followed. There are dedicated channels for incident reporting and pre-defined processes that can be followed by any member of staff. ; ; Serious incidents such as practices not being able to access Ardens – acknowledged within 4 hours of occurrence and resolved within 2 working days ; Urgent updates and issues such as incorrect details on the referral form – delivered within 5 working days of request ; Complaints are received via the support desk and regular update reporting provided to the customer.

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Independent review of processes (for example CESG CPA Build Standard, ISO/IEC 27034, ISO/IEC 27001 or CSA CCM v3.0)

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: Yes
• Connected networks: Health and Social Care Network (HSCN)

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

  • Fighting climate change
  • Covid-19 recovery
  • Tackling economic inequality
  • Equal opportunity
  • Wellbeing

  Fighting climate change

  Ardens understands that fighting climate change is not optional: it is an essential commitment for any organisation. We understand that the climate emergency is now considered ‘code red’, reinforcing the importance of promoting climate-conscious practices throughout our business. ; ; We are aligned with the NHS ambition to become the world's first net zero carbon healthcare system by 2045, and have committed to key infrastructure investments to support this goal, including: ; ; - A cycle to work scheme, which is open to all employees, to encourage greener commutes. ; - Bike parking stands at our offices, to further encourage cycling to work. ; - More electric vehicle charging points in our car parks to encourage use of electric cars, reinforced by an EV scheme. ; ; We are committed to ensuring our supply chain is aligned with our social value goals. This includes looking at our biggest carbon footprint areas and consideration of how we can reduce or eliminate our carbon outputs. ; ; We considered the impact of our server environment, one of our largest areas of carbon use, and with this in mind, selected Amazon Web Services (AWS). Their Climate Pledge commits to using 100% renewable energy sources by 2025, and to be net zero carbon by 2040. ; ; We buy locally where possible, a recent example being the selection of a local building company to work on an extension to our offices, this reduces the carbon footprint whilst also supporting the local economy. ; ; Ardens will continue to implement the following measures to contribute to fighting climate change: ; ; - Encouraging remote working (where suitable) to decrease pollution through travel. ; - Where possible, encouraging staff to car share. ; - An entirely paperless operation. ; - Reviewing suppliers’ environmental policies to ensure we are aligned.

  Covid-19 recovery

  As an organisation led by GPs, we understand the far-reaching impact of COVID-19 on the population and primary care specifically. ; ; We provide a free COVID-19 dashboard to all GP practices in England to aid recovery, part of our company values to empower healthcare providers. This tool brings additional value by empowering clinicians with the knowledge that their templates are in line with the latest government guidance and symptoms of the virus, bringing focus back to the patient and enhancing the quality of care. This includes: ; ; - COVID-19 Vaccination Resources dashboard – enabling GP practices, PCNs and ICSs to monitor vaccination activity effectively, generating reports to maximise efficiencies. ; - Updated templates reflecting latest guidance – for risk assessment, remote and face-to-face consultations, social assessment, and future care planning, keeping the patient at the centre of care. ; - Bespoke clinical templates for SystmOne and EMIS Web for paediatric remote consultations – offering guidance for assessing children aged 0-18 remotely. ; - Isolation notes for patients to give their employers – ensuring the correct information is provided, with a robust template for ease of use. ; - Med3 Fit Notes sent electronically via email for efficient communication. ; ; Additionally, we recognise the impact of COVID-19 on waiting lists and the subsequent influx of administrative demands on primary care, which can be challenging to manage. Through our solutions, including Ardens Manager and Ardens Risk Stratification and Primary Prevention, we reduce these pressures through intuitive use of data analytics, releasing time to focus on providing excellent care. ; ; Ardens’ commitment to providing additional social value towards COVID-19 recovery was recognised through multiple awards throughout the pandemic, including EMIS Health Partner of the Year 2021 for COVID Customer Champion.

  Tackling economic inequality

  Ardens believes in the importance of tackling economic inequality as part of our approach to social value, bringing benefits to individuals and the wider community. ; ; Our tools support Primary Care in identifying and tackling the determinants of poor health, including economic inequalities. Through the accurate recording of data in patient record systems, and then the analysis of aggregate data from these systems, areas of inequality can be identified and actioned. As an example, childhood vaccination rates can be analysed by postcode, allowing the targeting of certain areas with low uptake. ; ; At a national level, we support NHS England tackle economic inequality through its embedded social deprivation index. ; ; We are proud to pay all employees above the Living Wage, and keep pay under constant assessment to ensure it remains competitive. ; ; All our staff have access to training opportunities and are supported to attain additional qualifications. Personal and professional development is an integral part of our Annual Appraisals structure, and we have had notable successes: ; ; - With us for a two-week work experience placement, a staff member took an interest in HR, going on to complete a Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) course and continue working with us on a permanent basis. She has stayed with us, progressing regularly and has now been promoted to a Director position. ; - We supported a colleague in gaining a Data Protection Officer (DPO) qualification, enabling them to professionally advance into our DPO position. ; - Ardens supported a colleague in dropping to a part-time role to pursue a Masters degree, for professional and personal growth, working with them to ensure they were supported. ; - We helped one of our SystmOne Trainers to explore their interest in Child Psychology, supporting them through an Open University course and subsequent PhD qualification.

  Equal opportunity

  Ardens recognises that diversity is an integral part of workforce dynamics and proactively strives to increase equal opportunity through our values and business practices, supporting people to succeed. We have a diverse senior management team who work to ensure that all team members - regardless of background – have a positive, enjoyable experience of work. ; ; We ensure equal opportunity by operating a standardised recruitment process throughout advertising, shortlisting, and interviewing, guided by our robust Equal Opportunities Policy. ; ; We develop our team, helping people to learn new skills and gain professional qualifications. This development is rooted in equality, with oversight from senior management to ensure opportunities are available for all. We are proud to have staff who are representative of the local areas where we work and recruit, and to have a highly skilled, diverse senior management team and Board. ; ; We accept work experience candidates from schools local to our offices, offering a variety of workplace experiences to those in full-time education. This gives young people from all backgrounds real-world experience of a technology company, encouraging them to join the sector. ; ; In addition, we also accept candidates seeking experience to complement their university education. We offer valuable experience to those studying IT and technology-based courses, as well as healthcare.

  Wellbeing

  Wellbeing is key to staff and patients, contributing to a healthy work life balance and supporting good mental health. We reflect this social value through our work to ensure the wellbeing of patients, as well as of our own team. ; ; Patient wellbeing is always considered during the development of our products. We proactively seek feedback from patients, clinicians and frontline managers to improve our products. For example, we consulted with members of the LGBTQIA+ community to ensure that our templates are inclusive prior to launch, including discussions around pronouns and titles. We review all feedback we receive as part of our continuous cycle of development and implement changes to positively impact patient wellbeing. ; ; Ardens champions staff wellbeing, understanding that a healthy and happy workforce positively impacts our services and the wider community. We ensure a and supportive structure around each staff member, with Team Leaders as a regular point of contact to provide wellbeing support. Each member of the team also is assigned a mentor, with whom they have weekly meetings. ; ; We conduct regular staff surveys, where 94% of our staff feel well-supported by their manager and 91% feel that we provide a positive and welcoming work environment. ; ; Our employees have the benefit of access to talking therapies and counselling, available through the Simplyhealth platform, proactively ensuring a healthy workforce. ; ; Staff wellbeing is part of our culture and, consequently, we have a high staff retention rate, 91.27% for 2023, with high morale throughout the organisation. Activities such as weekly breakfasts, regular walks, and team games promote both team and individual wellbeing, alongside granting staff a day of leave for their birthday. We have also implemented a scheme for buying and selling leave, which is regularly used by our staff and encourages ownership of wellbeing and individual needs.

Pricing

• Price: £0.18 to £0.36 a unit a year
• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: Yes
• Description of free trial: Ardens offer a one month trial of the National Contracts dashboards. This allows for the upload of data and dashboards for QOF, PCN DES, SMI Health Checks, Public Health Contracts, Long COVID and Weight Management Enhanced Service.
• Link to free trial: https://ardensmanager.com/sign-up/

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at accounts@ardens.org.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.