Requirements - Reuse Principles and Development of Shared Services
-
RU03 - Required Reuse
We should reuse capabilities as defined below.
Requirement
RU03 : We should reuse capabilities as defined below.
Capabilities
Capability Reuse Cohorting CaaS Citizen Messaging NHS Notify Staff Messaging GOV.Notify and NHS.net Connect Application Messaging MESH or alternative as required Demographics/MPI PDS Eventing MNS API Management NHSE API Management Platform (which uses Apigee underneath) Identity CIS2 Auth/NHS Mail SSO/NHS login Logging & Monitoring Splunk/Sentinel/Cribl/Grafana (tbc – pending ODIN) Data Analytics FDP/CDP/DPS - FDP First Public facing web presence NHS.uk Patient Flags Flags service Organisational Data ODS Shared Services
Capability Reuse Auditing Standard Audit tools/PARS (when live) Cyber Security Monitoring CSOC Service Management & Support ServiceNow
Requirement description
This requirement is concerned with ensuring that teams make use of existing NHS England shared capabilities rather than creating duplicate solutions.
The objective is to increase consistency, reduce duplication, improve interoperability and maximise value from existing investments. Where an approved shared capability exists for a particular need, teams should normally adopt it unless there is a justified reason not to do so.
If a shared service is not used, the rationale, risks and alternative approach should be clearly documented and understood.
In simple terms:
Use established NHS England shared services wherever they meet the need, and be able to justify any exceptions.
Scoring rubric table – RU03 Use of Shared Capabilities
| Score | What it looks like | Typical evidence | Key gaps / risks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | No evidence that shared service reuse has been considered. New or duplicate capabilities have been developed despite the existence of shared alternatives. |
No reuse assessment. No architecture rationale. Locally developed capabilities duplicating shared services. |
Significant service risk. Increased duplication, cost, support burden and inconsistency across the organisation. |
| 1 | Limited awareness of available shared services. Reuse considerations are informal and not evidenced. |
Informal discussions. Assumptions regarding capability suitability. No documented assessment. |
High-risk gaps. Teams may miss opportunities for reuse or select inappropriate solutions. |
| 2 | Some shared capabilities have been considered or used, but assessment and adoption are incomplete or inconsistent. |
Partial reuse assessments. Use of some shared services. Limited documentation of exceptions. |
Significant notable gaps. Duplicate capabilities may still exist and exception decisions may not be adequately justified. |
| 3 | Much of the solution demonstrates use of appropriate shared services. Most exceptions are documented and supported by rationale. |
Reuse assessments. Solution architecture documentation. Architecture Decision Records. Evidence of shared platform adoption. Documented exception decisions. |
Notable gaps remain. Some reuse opportunities may not have been fully assessed or supporting evidence may be incomplete. |
| 4 | Most applicable shared capabilities have been adopted and integrated appropriately. Exceptions are clearly documented and governed. |
Comprehensive reuse assessment. Architecture review evidence. Documented alignment to shared service catalogue. Governance approval of justified exceptions. Traceability between requirements and selected shared services. |
Minor gaps only. Remaining deviations are understood, justified and low risk. |
| 5 | Comprehensive and exemplar use of shared capabilities. Reuse is actively prioritised and contributes to organisational consistency, efficiency and interoperability. |
Comprehensive service reuse strategy. Adoption of relevant shared services across the solution. Well-documented exception management. Architecture governance evidence. Evidence that reuse has reduced duplication and improved alignment. Lessons learned contributing to wider organisational reuse practices. |
Minimal or no significant gaps. Reuse principles are embedded within architecture and delivery practices. |
What assessors should look for
- Shared capability awareness – Has the team assessed the available NHS England shared services relevant to their solution?
- Reuse adoption – Are appropriate shared capabilities being used rather than creating duplicate functionality?
- Justified exceptions – Where a shared service has not been used, is there a documented rationale?
- Governance – Have reuse and exception decisions been reviewed through appropriate architecture governance processes?
- Interoperability and consistency – Does the solution contribute to a more consistent architecture landscape through reuse?
- Evidence of assessment – Can the team demonstrate how shared service options were evaluated?
What separates a 3 from a 4 or 5
A score of 3 generally indicates that shared capabilities have been adopted in many areas and that exceptions are broadly understood, but assessment evidence, governance or traceability may be incomplete.
A score of 4 requires clear evidence that all relevant shared capabilities have been systematically considered and adopted wherever appropriate. Exceptions should be documented, justified and subject to governance review.
A score of 5 requires reuse to be embedded within architecture decision-making. The service demonstrates strong alignment with NHS England shared capability strategy, actively avoids duplication and can demonstrate wider organisational benefits from reuse.
Suggested evidence examples (not SAF-mandated artefacts)
- Reuse assessments against the NHS England shared capability catalogue
- Solution Design Overview documents
- Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)
- Architecture review outputs
- Design Authority papers and approvals
- Identity, messaging, API management or shared platform adoption evidence
- Documented exception assessments
- Governance decisions approving deviations
- Solution architecture diagrams showing shared service integration
- Business cases identifying reuse benefits
Updated: 04 September 2026 (SAF Version 1.1)