This page provides an overview of who we share data with and how the data is used.

Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) in England

Service accreditation

BCSP require services to be JAG accredited prior to permitting them to start undertaking either colonoscopy or bowel scope screening.  On an ongoing basis, BCSP use JAG accreditation status as one of the criteria they use to assess a services performance.

If a screening centre loses accreditation, BCSP will review whether screening can continue and will stop screening activity should there be concerns about safety or should a service not regain accreditation in a timely manner. Additionally, BCSP does not undertake quality assurance visits to services if they hold JAG accreditation.

JAG informs BCSP of changes in services’ accreditation status on an ongoing basis and provides BCSP with a copy of all accreditation reports and letters.

Accreditation of screening endoscopists

JAG are responsible for the operational delivery of accreditation for screening endoscopists. All endoscopists must be accredited in order to provide screening. JAG also hosts the accreditation panel which set the criteria for the accreditation assessments.

JAG share details of the result of each accreditation assessment with Public Health England.

Care Quality Commission

Service accreditation

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) inspection methodology considers an endoscopy service’s accreditation with JAG:
We will use accreditation programmes that relate to a particular service to inform our inspection activity and enable us to take a proportionate approach.

This means that if a service has a JAG accreditation, they are likely to have a reduced or ‘lighter touch’ inspection. JAG regularly communicates changes to accreditation status to the CQC, and informs the CQC if we have concerns about a particular service so that they can consider this when prioritising inspections.

The CQC requests information from JAG if it has concerns about a service. JAG also supports the CQC in developing its inspection framework for endoscopy.

For more information, please see How CQC monitors, inspects and regulates independent healthcare services. 

Getting it right first time (GIRFT)

JAG works with the endoscopy GIRFT team to ensure that the GIRFT programme and JAG are aligned. This is so that both teams provide a supportive service to enable quality improvement and to reduce burden.

To support the GIRFT project JAG have shared the following with the national team:

• National endoscopy database data (site name, trust name, date of first NED upload, total number of procedures uploaded)
  
• JAG accreditation data (JAG accreditation status, date accredited, date of next planned accreditation site assessment)
  
• Trainee (JETS) data (trust name, number of trainees certified in 2018 (split between background such as doctor, surgeon, nurse etc)
  
• Liver accreditation programme (IQILS) (name of service registered for programme (to identify those not yet registered)

Research

 JAG uses anonymous data for research provided the application for data is deemed appropriate by the JAG research committee. This may include the use of evidence provided for the purpose of service accreditation. All research outputs are published so that learning can be taken forward by endoscopy services. Individual services are not identifiable in any research outputs.

Medical and surgical training deaneries

Training programme directors for each region can access data regarding trainees (if on specialist register, ST3, ST2, ST1, LAT or LAS) attached to their deanery. This includes summary data and also access to the portfolios of each trainee.