Case Study: NHS North Essex achieves better healthcare planning and targeted public health campaigns with Ordnance Survey

Ordnance Survey maps improve health care in North Essex

NHS North Essex faced rapid population growth from new housing that put pressure on GP surgeries and made it hard to plan health-promotion and service access interventions. To respond, NHS North Essex drew on Ordnance Survey geographic information under the Public Sector Mapping Agreement (PSMA), using datasets such as OS MasterMap and OS VectorMap to analyse travel distances, map service coverage and identify high-need areas.

Ordnance Survey maps and data were used to assess development impacts, target campaigns and site pilot services, helping secure developer contributions (£1.12 million for GP refurbishment and land plus £2 million towards a possible new four‑GP surgery). Targeted stop‑smoking work based on OS data increased demand by 300% and tripled clinic provision in Braintree, and a COPD pharmacy screening pilot identified possible COPD in about 1 in 10 screened patients. Ordnance Survey’s mapping improved targeting, unlocked funding and increased primary care capacity across North Essex.

NHS North Essex

Colin Seward

Public Health Intelligence Specialist