Publication, Part of Community Services Statistics
Community Services Statistics, April 2023
Experimental statistics, Official statistics in development
A recent code review has revealed that the underlying code for the Service Type measures included in the main csv does not wholly match the methodology described in the publication. The values historically published included non-within month data and contacts may not have been unique. Initial investigations show national levels for this measure should have been about 2% lower. This percentage increases at lower levels of the hierarchy due to the influence of small numbers.
Service Type data in this publication has been fixed, however, comparisons with historic values of this data should be treated with caution until these have also been retrospectively corrected.
4 July 2023 00:00 AM
Dataset versions explained
General
CSDS v1.6 is a minor uplift to the established CSDS v1.5 and is required to keep the data set relevant with current clinical practices, maintain compliance with national data standards and meet policy requirements.
To deliver this, there are several changes in this version, including
- additional options to record weight management services
- replacement of Consultation Medium with Consultation Mechanism, including new national codes
- referrals from pharmacies
- additional information on the person's overseas visitor charging category
- an update to the ethnic category based on 2021 Census data.
The previous version of the dataset, CSDS v1.5 ceased collection with December 2022 data that was published in March 2023.
For more information, please see the CSDS v1.6 Guidance page.
Data collection
From the July 2020 data, the CSDS is being collected via the SDCS Cloud. Prior to this, CSDS data was collected via the Bureau Service Portal.
Unlike the Bureau Service Portal, the SDCS Cloud is an internet-facing service that does not require an N3 or HSCN connection, making it easier for providers to submit data and therefore enabling better coverage in published statistics. This new service stores CSDS data in cloud-based infrastructure.
Detailed guidance is available to support providers in making submissions via the SDCS Cloud. This includes detailed technical and user guidance. New providers must complete a defined process to gain access to the SDCS Cloud. It also uses two-factor authentication as the secure method of confirming user identity using a combination of two different factors.
Find out more about the SDCS Cloud.
Data validation
The data is validated at the point of submission, for each provider. If file-level validation checks are not passed the provider will receive a file-level rejection report. If file-level validation is passed, the data are successfully submitted but the provider will still receive a report containing details of field-level errors and warnings. These can be investigated, corrected and further submissions can be made within the submission window.
Data processing
From July 2020 data, the CSDS data are processed using NHS Digital’s new Data Processing Services (DPS). DPS use modern technologies and processes to collect, process and access data more efficiently.
Find out more about our Data Processing Services.
Data security and patient identifiers
Patient identifiers
In the previous version of the dataset, individuals were uniquely and safely identified using the pseudonymised data item CSDS_Person_ID. This item was derived from a combination of identifiable data items (such as NHS number, date of birth, postcode and gender) and used to search a patient index and apply an existing ID to matching patients already present in the index or allocate a new ID for new patients. The index was common to both CSDS and the Maternity Services Dataset (MSDS), allowing linkage to track patients accessing both services.
Master person service
CSDS versions 1.5 and 1.6 use the new Master Person Service (MPS), to allocate a pseudonymised item, PERSON_ID. The MPS is an enhanced patient-matching algorithm that increases the number of linkable records where incomplete records have been submitted. It is intended that MPS is commonly used in all datasets processed using DPS, facilitating simpler data linkage.
The two methodologies are not compatible, however the new PERSON_IDs created by the MPS has been retrospectively applied to CSDS v1.0 data, making it possible to track individuals over the lifespan of both datasets.
Dissemination
These statistics are disseminated via the NHS Digital website.
The format of the community services monthly statistics publication based on CSDS v1.5 onwards has changed from earlier publications in that we have moved to an HTML based publication format following Government Digital Service/UK Statistics Authority recommendations about making our data more accessible and user friendly to readers.
Review and feedback
The statistics presented in this publication are currently designated as experimental statistics and, as such, remain under constant review.
The Community Analysis team welcomes any comments or feedback on the publication:
Last edited: 4 July 2023 9:31 am