HRG4+ 2022/23 Consultation Grouper

Download the HRG4+ 2022/23 Consultation Grouper application

This Grouper contains an updated design to that used in the HRG4+ 2021/22 Local Payment Grouper.

This release should be used to support the NHS England and Improvement Section 118 Consultation process. This release does not pre-empt anything to be included in the consultation for the 2022/23 tariff, and this design and grouper software will be superseded by the HRG4+ 2022/23 Local Payment Grouper, which will be released March 2022, for use from 1 April 2022.

The HRG4+ 2022/23 Consultation Grouper can be used to:

• group data and derive HRGs
• support data quality
• conduct what-if modelling
• assist service redesign
• assess local reimbursement that will be received under the National Reimbursement rules for the 2022/23 financial year

It should be used in conjunction with the Grouper User Manual, which explains how data should be sorted and presented for processing by the Grouper. 

As with previous releases, users must be aware that the Grouper does not apply certain tariff business rules; for example, Prescribed Specialised Service flagging, which is used to apply reimbursement top-ups where applicable.

Activities relating to Treatment Function Code or other pre-processing exclusions should also be removed from the input data before running through the Consultation Grouper. As HRG exclusions are at spell level, and the HRG4+ Grouper produces both episode and spell-level HRGs during the same run, HRG exclusions should be made at spell level following grouping. There is no requirement to group data twice. Organisations choosing not to remove exclusion data may generate HRGs that are excluded from national tariff under national funding policy.

The HRG4+ 2022/23 Consultation Grouper has been released with a minimal documentation suite, for expediency. A full documentation suite will be available with the HRG4+ 2022/23 Local Payment Grouper.

Summary of Changes - this document summarises the updates to both the product and underlying design from the last Local Payment Grouper product release. Users are advised to read before using the latest Grouper.

Casemix Companion - not available for this release

Grouper User Manual - this document provides full instructions on how to prepare and group data using the updated HRG4+ Grouper software application, as well as illustrating how the revised product can be used to support users.

Chapter Summaries - not available for this release

Code to Group - this workbook provides details of constituent elements that contribute to HRG grouping. It contains reference data, such as the ICD-10 and OPCS-4 codes used in the design, procedure, and diagnosis hierarchies relevant to a specific design, and the Complication and Comorbidities lists for HRG subchapters. It also includes information on Programme Budgeting Category (PBC) mapping and comprehensive list of HRG codes.

Test data and expected results - these files provide sample data to test the Grouper installation (running the sample data should result in 90% grouped, 10% ungrouped). The file format of the sample data is representative of that in the default RDFs, provided within the Grouper application. These files can easily be used as example patient data, or as a template to understand the required input to the Grouper to enable successful grouping.

If you have any issues, ideas or feedback on the current product, please contact [email protected] or mail us at [email protected].

For more details about the National Tariffs for 2022/23, please see NHS Improvement website

Visit our archive to view downloaded historical versions of Groupers and documentation