HRG4+ 2023/24 Consultation Grouper

Download the HRG4+ 2023/24 Consultation Grouper application

There have been no changes from the HRG4+ 2022/23 Local Payment Grouper, to the HRG4+ 2023/24 Consultation Grouper application.

This release should be used to support the NHS England Section 114 Consultation process. This release does not pre-empt anything to be included in the consultation for the 2023/24 tariff, and this design and Grouper software will be superseded by the HRG4+ 2023/24 Local Payment Grouper, which will be released March 2023, for use from 1 April 2023. The HRG4+ 2023/24 Local Payment Grouper will contain significant changes to the underlying design due to the incorporation of OPCS version 4.10.

The HRG4+ 2023/24 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 2023/24 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 reimbursement business rules; for example, Prescribed Specialised Service flagging, which is used to apply 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 funding policy.

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

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 - this provides an overview of the scope, composition and grouping logic of individual subchapters, including the update to the new HRG design.

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.

Casemix Companion - this document can now be found on our new web page The why, what and how of Casemix. This document is a starting point and general reference guide for anyone interested in learning about Casemix. It gives an introduction to HRGs, groupers, HRG4+ design concepts and grouping logic.

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

Register for updates

Register for updates here and keep up-to-date with the latest Grouper releases and Casemix products. When a new Grouper product is released, you will be contacted via email.

For more details about the National Tariffs for 2023/24, please see NHS England website

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