Commissioning data sets

Below is a list of data sets that are available to commissioners and for what purpose. Provision of data sets are subject to the local arrangements each integrated care board (ICB) has with the providing commissioning support unit (CSU).

If you are unable to find the dataset you are looking for or would like to request a change to an existing dataset, you can submit a Work Item Request to have it added.

These forms are examined and collated on a quarterly basis, and feedback will be provided to requestors.  

NHS England (NHSE) commissioning 

Commissioning is not one action but many, ranging from the health-needs assessment for a population, through the clinically based design of patient pathways, to service specification and contract negotiation or procurement, with continuous quality assessment. NHS England supports other NHS organisations to work in partnership to deliver better outcomes for our patients and communities and provide value for taxpayers.

ICB commissioning 

ICBs have taken over the statutory responsibility for commissioning most NHS services previously held by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). ICBs use the commissioning process to plan, purchase and monitor health and care services for their population. ICB commissioning comprises a range of activities, including: assessing needs, setting priorities, planning and/or procuring services and monitoring quality. For further information on your local ICB's use of data please visit their website.

ICB risk stratification 

Risk Stratification is a tool used by GPs and ICBs for identifying and predicting which patients are at high risk, or are likely to be at high risk and prioritising the management of their care in order to prevent worse outcomes. For further information on your local ICBs use of data please visit their website.

ICB invoice validation 

Invoice validation is an important process in ensuring that your care and your care provider is paid for correctly. It involves using your data (usually NHS number) to check that the integrated care board (ICB) is responsible for paying for your treatment. For further information on your local ICBs use of data please visit their website.

CQC statutory functions 

Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. It uses NHS data to ensure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and we encourage care services to improve.

Access the data landing portal.

The data quality team assesses the quality of data published by providers.

Access their publications and best practice.

The commissioning data sets listed above may be shared with ICBs as an extract and/or accessed via the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP), Strategic Commissioning Tool. The FDP provides a secure, scalable infrastructure that enables ICBs to create, analyse and derive actionable insights into aggregate healthcare data utilising the pseudonymised commissioning data sets that the ICB currently receives through existing routes and into existing systems.