The-Strategy-Unit · tomjemmett · Jul 14, 2026 · Jul 14, 2026 · Jul 14, 2026
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ Imports:
 Suggests:
     covr,
     devtools,
+    nhp.inputs.selection.app,
     mockery,
     rcmdcheck,
     rsconnect,
@@ -69,7 +70,8 @@ Suggests:
     usethis,
     watcher
 Remotes:
-    github::the-strategy-unit/azkit
+    github::the-strategy-unit/azkit,
+    nhp.inputs.selection.app=github::the-strategy-unit/nhp_inputs_selection_app
 Config/testthat/edition: 3
 Encoding: UTF-8
 Language: en-GB

@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ The guidance below is for the members of [the Strategy Unit's Data Science team]
 
 ### Structure
 
-Technically there are two apps: the main app in the `main` branch, and the inputs selection app (where users start or edit a scenario) in the `inputs_selection_app` branch.
+Technically there are two apps: the main app in the `main` branch, and the [inputs selection app](https://github.com/The-Strategy-Unit/nhp_inputs_selection_app) (where users start or edit a scenario).
 Users arrive at the selection app before being routed to the main app.
 
 Both apps are built with [Shiny](https://shiny.posit.co/) and the main app uses the [the {golem} package](https://thinkr-open.github.io/golem/).
@@ -50,30 +50,12 @@ Run the app locally on your machine to test that your changes work as expected.
 
 #### Setup
 
-First, install the required packages listed in the DESCRIPTION with `pak::local_install_deps(dependencies = TRUE)`.
+First, install the required packages listed in the DESCRIPTION with `pak::local_install_dev_deps(dependencies = TRUE)`.
 
 Then add an `.Renviron` file to the project root that contains the required environment variables.
 Copy into it the required variables, which are listed in the `.Renviron.example`.
 You can get the values you need from a member of the Data Science team.
 
-Then, from the `main` branch (or your development branch of it), use Git's `worktree` function to put the `inputs_selection_app` branch (or your development branch of it) in its own subfolder.
-
-In the terminal:
-
-```
-git fetch origin inputs_selection_app
-git worktree add inputs_selection_app inputs_selection_app
-```
-
-The first argument is the name of the folder in which to put the branch content.
-If you want a development version of the inputs selection app, you can specify the branch name as the second of the arguments to `git worktree add`.
-
-If you need to remove the selection-app folder at any point, you can terminate the background job (if running) and in the terminal run:
-
-```
-git worktree remove inputs_selection_app
-```
-
 #### Run the app
 
 Once setup, we can run the app.

@@ -1,131 +1,141 @@
-
-<!-- README.md is generated from README.Rmd. Please edit that file -->
-
-# NHP Inputs
-
-<!-- badges: start -->
-
-[![Project Status: Active – The project has reached a stable, usable
-state and is being actively
-developed.](https://www.repostatus.org/badges/latest/active.svg)](https://www.repostatus.org/#active)
-[![check](https://github.com/The-Strategy-Unit/nhp_inputs/actions/workflows/check.yaml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/The-Strategy-Unit/nhp_inputs/actions/workflows/check.yaml)
-<!-- badges: end -->
-
-## About
-
-A web app to input the parameters needed to run scenarios through the
-New Hospital Programme (NHP) demand model.
-
-The app is [deployed to Posit
-Connect](https://connect.strategyunitwm.nhs.uk/nhp/inputs/). You must
-have an account and sufficient permissions to view it.
-
-Results can then be viewed in [the outputs
-app](https://connect.strategyunitwm.nhs.uk/nhp/outputs/), which is
-generated from the
-[nhp_outputs](https://github.com/The-Strategy-Unit/nhp_outputs)
-repository.
-
-You can find more information on [the NHP model project information
-site](https://connect.strategyunitwm.nhs.uk/nhp/project_information/),
-including [a
-diagram](https://connect.strategyunitwm.nhs.uk/nhp/project_information/project_plan_and_summary/components-overview.html)
-of how the components of the modelling process fit together.
-
-## For developers
-
-The app is built and maintained by members of [the Strategy Unit’s Data
-Science team](https://the-strategy-unit.github.io/data_science/).
-
-### Structure
-
-Technically there are two apps: the main app in the `main` branch, and
-the inputs selection app (where users start or edit a scenario) in the
-`inputs_selection_app` branch. Users arrive at the selection app before
-being routed to the main app.
-
-Both apps are built with [Shiny](https://shiny.posit.co/) and the main
-app uses the [the {golem}
-package](https://thinkr-open.github.io/golem/). Server and UI modules
-can be found in `R/`, configuration in `inst/golem-config.yml` and
-supporting data and text in `inst/app/`.
-
-Packages used in the app are listed in `DESCRIPTION`, and can be
-installed with `devtools::install_deps(dependencies = TRUE)`.
-
-### Run locally
-
-Run the app locally on your machine to test that your changes work as
-expected.
-
-To prepare, add an `.Renviron` file to the project root that contains
-the required environment variables. There is an `.Renviron.example` file
-which describes the required variables. You can get these from a member
-of the Data Science team.
-
-Then, from the `main` branch (or your development branch of it), use
-Git’s `worktree` function to put the `inputs_selection_app` branch (or
-your development branch of it) in its own subfolder.
-
-In the terminal:
-
-    git fetch origin inputs_selection_app
-    git worktree add inputs_selection_app inputs_selection_app
-
-If you want a development version of the inputs selection app, you can
-specify the branch name as the second of the arguments to
-`git worktree add`.
-
-To run the app from RStudio, start up the selection app by opening the
-`dev/watch.R` script, go to the ‘Background Jobs’ tab of the console
-pane and click the ‘Start Background Job’ button. In the ‘Run Script as
-Background Job’ dialog box select the project root as the ‘Working
-Directory’, then hit ‘Start’. When ready, the app will tell you to visit
-`http://127.0.0.1:9081/` in your browser.
-
-Note that your selections in the app remain local to you and the
-resulting json file of parameters for your scenario will live in your
-local `params/development/` directory. These scenarios will be
-selectable and editable in future from your locally-run inputs selection
-app.
-
-If you need to remove the selection-app folder at any point, you can
-terminate the background job (if running) and in the terminal run:
-
-    git worktree remove inputs_selection_app
-
-### Test in dev
-
-During pre-release QA we test both apps on the server. This helps us
-spot any issues that are server-specific and might be overlooked if
-running the apps locally.
-
-To test the unreleased app in our development environment:
-
-1.  Merge any PRs you want to test into the `main` branch.
-2.  If you’ve changed any dependencies, run `dev/generate_manifest.R` to
-    update `manifest.json`.
-3.  If you’ve made any changes to the inputs selection app, run the
-    manual `deploy()` call under the ‘development’ heading in the
-    `deploy.R` script in your selection app development branch.
-
-When using the dev inputs selection app on Connect, make sure to set the
-‘Model Version’ dropdown to ‘dev’ in the expandable ‘Advanced Options’
-box. That way you’ll be taken to the dev inputs app when you hit
-‘Start’.
-
-### Data extraction
-
-The app displays trust-specific data to users. The data is processed via
-Databricks scripts in [the nhp_data
-repository](https://github.com/The-Strategy-Unit/nhp_data) and stored in
-Azure storage.
-
-### Deployment
-
-Deployment is controlled by GitHub Actions, where:
-
-- pushes to the `main` branch redeploy the app to /nhp/dev/inputs/ for
-  purposes of quality assurance
-- tagged releases trigger a new deployment to /nhp/vX-Y/inputs/, where
-  ‘vX-Y’ is the current version (note the hyphen)
+
+<!-- README.md is generated from README.Rmd. Please edit that file -->
+
+# NHP Inputs
+
+<!-- badges: start -->
+
+[![Project Status: Active – The project has reached a stable, usable
+state and is being actively
+developed.](https://www.repostatus.org/badges/latest/active.svg)](https://www.repostatus.org/#active)
+[![check](https://github.com/The-Strategy-Unit/nhp_inputs/actions/workflows/check.yaml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/The-Strategy-Unit/nhp_inputs/actions/workflows/check.yaml)
+<!-- badges: end -->
+
+## About
+
+A web app to input the parameters needed to run scenarios through the
+New Hospital Programme (NHP) demand model.
+
+The app is [deployed to Posit
+Connect](https://connect.strategyunitwm.nhs.uk/nhp/inputs/). You must
+have an account and sufficient permissions to view it.
+
+Results can then be viewed in [the outputs
+app](https://connect.strategyunitwm.nhs.uk/nhp/outputs/), which is
+generated from the
+[nhp_outputs](https://github.com/The-Strategy-Unit/nhp_outputs)
+repository.
+
+You can find more information on [the NHP model project information
+site](https://connect.strategyunitwm.nhs.uk/nhp/project_information/),
+including [a
+diagram](https://connect.strategyunitwm.nhs.uk/nhp/project_information/project_plan_and_summary/components-overview.html)
+of how the components of the modelling process fit together.
+
+## For developers
+
+The guidance below is for the members of [the Strategy Unit’s Data
+Science team](https://the-strategy-unit.github.io/data_science/), who
+built and maintain this app.
+
+### Structure
+
+Technically there are two apps: the main app in the `main` branch, and
+the [inputs selection
+app](https://github.com/The-Strategy-Unit/nhp_inputs_selection_app)
+(where users start or edit a scenario). Users arrive at the selection
+app before being routed to the main app.
+
+Both apps are built with [Shiny](https://shiny.posit.co/) and the main
+app uses the [the {golem}
+package](https://thinkr-open.github.io/golem/). Server and UI modules
+can be found in `R/`, configuration in `inst/golem-config.yml` and
+supporting data and text in `inst/app/`.
+
+### Run locally
+
+Run the app locally on your machine to test that your changes work as
+expected.
+
+#### Setup
+
+First, install the required packages listed in the DESCRIPTION with
+`pak::local_install_dev_deps(dependencies = TRUE)`.
+
+Then add an `.Renviron` file to the project root that contains the
+required environment variables. Copy into it the required variables,
+which are listed in the `.Renviron.example`. You can get the values you
+need from a member of the Data Science team.
+
+#### Run the app
+
+Once setup, we can run the app. This is done by launching a background
+Shiny app and then watching the files for changes, which causes an
+auto-reload. The method for doing this depends on your IDE.
+
+In RStudio:
+
+1.  Open the `dev/watch.R` script and go to the ‘Background Jobs’ tab of
+    the console pane and click the ‘Start Background Job’ button.
+2.  Click ‘Start’ after checking that the ‘R Script’ path is
+    pre-populated with the path to `watch.R` (otherwise select it
+    yourself).
+3.  When ready, a message will tell you to visit
+    `http://127.0.0.1:9081/` in your browser.
+
+In Positron: run `source('dev/watch.R')` and click the link to the URL
+when complete.
+
+In VS Code: open the command palette
+(<kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>P</kbd>), search for ‘Tasks: Run
+Task’, then select ‘R: Run App (watch)’ and finally click the link to
+the URL when complete.
+
+Making selections in the app will cause values to be written to a local
+json file, which will live in your local `params/development/`
+directory. These scenarios will be selectable and editable in future
+from your locally-run inputs selection app. They will not be available
+from the deployed app.
+
+### Test in dev
+
+During pre-release QA we test both apps on the server. This helps us
+spot any issues that are server-specific and might be overlooked if
+running the apps locally.
+
+To test the unreleased app in our development environment:
+
+1.  Merge any PRs you want to test into the `main` branch.
+2.  If you’ve changed any dependencies, run `dev/generate_manifest.R` to
+    update `manifest.json`.
+3.  If you’ve made any changes to the inputs selection app, run the
+    manual `deploy()` call under the ‘development’ heading in the
+    `deploy.R` script in your selection-app development branch.
+
+When using the dev inputs selection app on Connect, make sure to set the
+‘Model Version’ dropdown to ‘dev’ in the expandable ‘Advanced Options’
+box. That way you’ll be taken to the dev inputs app when you hit
+‘Start’.
+
+### Data
+
+The app displays trust-specific data to users. The data is processed via
+Databricks scripts in [the nhp_data
+repository](https://github.com/The-Strategy-Unit/nhp_data) and stored in
+Azure storage.
+
+If the data updates and you need to invalidate the current cache, you
+force a reset by appending `?reset_cache=true` to the app’s canonical
+URL at `https://connect.strategyunitwm.nhs.uk/nhp/inputs/` (authorised
+devs only).
+
+### Deployment
+
+Deployment is controlled by GitHub Actions in `.github/workflows/`,
+where:
+
+- pushes to the `main` branch redeploy the app to /nhp/dev/inputs/ for
+  purposes of quality assurance
+- tagged releases trigger a new deployment to /nhp/vX-Y/inputs/, where
+  ‘vX-Y’ is the current version (note the hyphen)
+- manual deployment is possible with `connect-publish-manual.yaml`
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
 shiny::devmode()
 
 selection_app <- callr::r_bg(\() {
-  app <- shiny::runApp(
-    "inputs_selection_app",
-    port = 9080
-  )
+  app <- nhp.inputs.selection.app::run_app(port = 9080)
   print(app)
 })