Accessing data

Data is accessed by extracting it from the secure portal, using an NHS Smartcard.
Access is controlled using Spine and Role Based Access Control (RBAC). Users can access data appropriate to the role and organisation on their Smartcard. The portal enables users to download data extracts to local systems to support local summary analysis and reporting.
The legacy SUS system used a dual- DataMart system, with SEM (Standard Extract Mart) and a PbR Mart containing:
⦁    SEM – Completed Episodes without PbR derivations.
⦁    PbR – Completed Spells with PbR derivations
Historically, SEM was available before the PbR mart following inclusion date because of the time taken to process PbR derivations and pricing to support National Tariff policy.
In SUS+, PbR processing is performed at the point at which extracts are requested using a single mart. An equivalent SEM or PbR ‘view’ can be specified from the single SUS+ data mart in the extract configuration.
 

Providers and commissioners have different levels of access to data contained within SUS.  Providers may have access to ‘clear’ (patient confidential data) data. 
Commissioner access is restricted to pseudonymised records.

However, certain organisations can be granted access to ‘weakly’ pseudonymised data which allows greater levels of data linkage for commissioning organisations with accredited safe haven status. 

Data senders must specify where other organisations, such as commissioners, have a right to access the CDS data.

Data Senders should use the NHS Data Dictionary CDS Addressing Grid to determine who can access the data once it has been submitted to SUS.

Users can select all or a combination of ‘Reasons for Access’ when requesting extracts from SEM or PbR.  The values are either submitted as data items within the CDS or derived in SUS using PDS data.

Reasons for access codes

Prime Recipient Code:  Provider submitted value

Copy Recipient Code: Provider submitted value

Provider Code: Submitted value of Organisation

Code (Code of Provider) 

Organisation of responsibility Code (Derived): Derived from Person Demographics Service (PDS) data using submitted NHS Number. PDS-held GP Practice is used to derive Organisation of responsibility. Where derivation from PDS is not possible, SUS uses the submitted GP Practice.

Organisation of residence Code (Derived)

Derived from PDS data using submitted NHS Number. PDS-held Postcode is used to derive organisation of residence. Where derivation from PDS is not possible, SUS derives a value using submitted postcode.

Organisation of residence Code (Submitted): User submitted organisation code of residence.

Commissioner Code (Submitted): User submitted organisation code (Code of Commissioner). Used in the configuration of SUS PbR managed service extracts.

Data is accessed using a smartcard via the Spine network. This allows the user to extract data where their organisation is identified in reasons for access.  Details of the data items available in SEM can be found in the Standard Extract Mart (SEM) specification workbook. 

The PbR views contain all CDS data items along with additional derived data items that support national tariff payment. The SUS Portal user guide provides guidance on extracting data and SUS Extract Specification workbooks provide details of available data items.

File Formats

Care must be taken with ‘.csv’ or other delimited output because where the delimiter character is present within the data there is no way of distinguishing between it and the corresponding character contained in the data. This can cause errors in software application interpretation of the output columns being misinterpreted. 

Data Senders are responsible for determining the correct commissioner organisation for all activity and include that organisation within the CDS submission.
The organisation of responsibility and the organisation of residence are also derived to assist in instances where clarity may be lacking regarding the correct commissioner.

Discrepancies

If a discrepancy exists between submitted and derived values the correct value should be determined through local negotiation.

There is no implication that the SUS derived value is any more correct than the provider submitted value.