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Data Uses Registers

The Data Uses Registers are published every month and provide information on our external Data Sharing Agreements. They are supplemented by the Internal Data Flow Record that provides information on data sharing internal to the organisation.

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Due to the merger of NHS Digital and NHS England on 1 February 2023, the Data Uses Register reports will no longer include data sharing agreements within NHS England from that date.

Instead, the Internal Data Flow Record will provide information on data sharing internal to the new merged organisation. Find out more about the merger.

We have developed reports, now published in beta to allow easy navigation. There are two reports that can be used to interrogate each Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) for further details, such as:

  • the start and end date of the DSA
  • the organisation name(s) of the data controller(s)
  • whether the data controller(s) are sole or joint controllers
  • the purpose for which the data was provided
  • information on the data sets approved
  • the legal basis under which data is released
  • if they have permissions to onwardly (sub-license) share the data
  • if the application is for a commercial purpose
  • whether patient opt-outs* were applied to the data set before release
  • details of physical files that were released and when.

As this is the first version of the Power BI Data Uses Register, we welcome any feedback. Feedback can be sent to [email protected], with the subject: Data Uses Register Feedback.

In addition to the Power BI reports, we publish an .xlsx version of the Data Uses Register to meet accessibility standards.

The Power BI reports include all DSAs active from January 2020. For previous DSAs please see our release register archive.

*Our patient opt-out policy explains when opt-outs do and do not apply in more detail.

Data uses registers

ARTICLE

Data Uses Register (Applicant organisations)

This report has interactive pages that allow you to delve into information about the DSA(s) that were submitted by an applicant organisation**
ARTICLE

Data Uses Register (Data controllers)

This report has interactive pages that allow you to delve into information about the DSA(s) for each data controlling organisation.

**The applicant organisation of a DSA is the organisation that submits the application to NHS Digital and is not always the organisation receiving or determining the purposes and means by which the data are processed.

The data controlling organisation determines the purposes and means by which the data are processed.

The reports above are in Microsoft Power BI which does not fully support all accessibility needs. If you need further assistance, please contact us for help.

Internal Data Uses Register

View the record of approved internal data flows.
 

National Back Office data release register

View the National Back Office (NBO) Data Release Register

This contains both Tracing service activity and Demographics Batch Service Bureau activity.

NDRS Data Release Register

The NDRS Data Release Register lists those organisations that have received data since the transition of the National Disease Registration Service to NHS Digital.

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) release register

Releases of NHS Digital data which are within the NHS Digital and Office for National Statistics jointly controlled Public Health Research Database (DSA NIC-420710-X0H1P) will be included in the ONS Release Register.

OpenSAFELY COVID-19 Service

Access to GP and NHS England pseudonymised patient data for COVID-19 research, COVID-19 clinical audit, COVID-19 service evaluation and COVID-19 health surveillance purposes, is available to approved users of the NHS England OpenSAFELY COVID-19 service.  You can review details of users/projects with approved access on the OpenSAFELY website. 

COVID-19 (non-DARS) data release register

The COVID-19 data release register contains details of the releases approved through a process which has been implemented specifically for COVID-19.

For further details on the programmes these releases relate to and the statutory basis which have been used, see NHS Digital response to coronavirus (COVID-19).

 

Feedback

To provide feedback that can be considered in producing future versions of the release register, please email [email protected]. 

Further information

Last edited: 10 June 2025 11:04 am