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NHS England Directions

Prior to the 1 February 2023, the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (2012 Act) set out the powers of the Secretary of State and NHS England to direct NHS Digital to carry out additional functions concerning information functions, the information functions of any health or social care body and systems delivery functions. Section 254 of the 2012 Act enabled NHS England to direct the HSCIC (known as NHS Digital) on matters concerning the provision of NHS services in England. NHS England could instruct NHS Digital to:

  • put in place systems to collect and analyse information
  • develop or operate information or communication systems

1 February 2023 update - The statutory functions of NHS Digital transferred to NHS England under the Health and Social Care Information Centre (Transfer of Functions, Abolition and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2023 (Transfer Regulations) with effect from 1st February 2023 (Transfer Date).

Under the Transfer Regulations, all directions by either the Secretary of State or NHS England to NHS Digital are now treated as directions made by the Secretary of State to NHS England except for system delivery directions issued by NHS England to NHS Digital, which come to an end.

From the Transfer Date, a number of directions made under section 254 of the 2012 Act have been varied in relation to their publication provisions to ensure that publication of information by NHS England may continue (where appropriate) where directions previously imposed a restriction on publication on NHS Digital. These directions are amended by the NHS England De-Identified Data Analytics and Publication Directions 2023.

All directions to NHS England after the Transfer Date will be published on the Secretary of State Directions page.

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A

Alcohol dependence workstream Directions 2021

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to operate a system for the collection and dissemination of information relating to the delivery of the alcohol dependence programme within NHS England and NHS Improvement's (NHSEI) prevention programme. 


Ambulance Data Set Directions 2022

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection and analysis of information to enable the collection and analysis of nationally consistent operational and clinical data from all ambulance services in England


Ambulance services data set discovery Directions 2020

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the ambulance services data set discovery Directions 2020. 


Assuring transformation data collection Directions 2015

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the assuring transformation data collection system.


B

Booking and referral standard Direction 2022

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection and analysis of information as are necessary to provide the Booking and Referral Standard services.  


C

Clinical waste management information system Direction 2018

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the Clinical Waste Management information system.


COVID-19 public health NHS England Directions 2020

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate information systems to collect analysis data in connection with COVID-19 and develop and operate information and communication systems to deliver services in connection with COVID-19. 


D

Data services for commissioners Directions 2015

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate systems for the collection and analysis of local commissioning data, clinical registry data and historic Primary Care Trust (PCT) data to deliver data services for commissioners.


Dementia prevalence Directions 2015

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the dementia prevalence information system.


Diagnostic imaging data set Directions 2016

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the diagnostic imaging data set service information system.


E

Emergency care data set collection Directions 2017

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the Emergency Care Data Set (ECDS) collection information system.


Establishment of information systems: Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Audit Directions 2020

Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care requiring NHS England to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Audit Directions 2020.


Establishment of information systems: retrospective audit of data for mesh procedures data analysis Directions 2018

The retrospective audit of data for mesh procedures data analysis Directions 2018.


Establishment of Information Systems for NHS Services: Citizen Identity Services

NHS England has directed NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as citizen identity services.


Establishment of information systems for NHS services: daily 111 winter collection

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the 111 winter collection.  


Establishment of information systems for NHS services: general practice contract data collections

Directions given by NHS England for the collection of information to be known as the general practice contract data collections data collection system.


Establishment of information Systems for NHS Services: genetic testing rates information system Directions 2015

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the genetic testing rates information system.


Establishment of information systems for NHS services: GP appointments data collection Direction 2018

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the GP appointments data collection.


Establishment of information systems for NHS Services: GP workload Directions 2017

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the GP workload collection information system.


Establishment of information systems for NHS Services: Improving Access to Psychological Therapies data collection Directions 2018

NHS England has directed NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Data Collection Information System.


Establishment of information systems for NHS services: Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Long-Term Conditions (LTC) data collection) Directions 2018

NHS England has directed NHS Digital to establish a system for collection of data from all Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Long-Term Conditions (LTC) wave 1 and wave 2 providers in England taking part in the Integrated Health Pilot.


Establishment of information systems for NHS Services: maternity services Directions 2018

NHS England has been directed by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care under section 254 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to establish and operate a system for the collection and analysis of the Maternity Services Data Set information.  


Establishment of information systems for NHS Services: mental health services directions 2015

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the mental health services information system.


Establishment of information systems for NHS Services: national audit of pulmonary hypertension Directions 2016

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the national audit of pulmonary hypertension information system.


Establishment of Information Systems for NHS Services: NHS 111 Online) Directions 2017

Directions to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the NHS Services: NHS 111 Online Directions 2017. 


Establishment of information systems for NHS services: NHS App Directions 2018

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the NHS App Direction 2018. 


Establishment of information systems for NHS Services: personal health budget collection Directions 2017

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the personal health budgets collection information system.


Establishment of information systems for NHS services: serious mental illness data collection Direction 2018

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the serious mental illness data collection Direction 2018 


Establishment of information systems for NHS services: The learning disabilities observatories GPES extract data collection Directions 2018.

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the learning disabilities observatories GPES extract data collection.


Establishment of information Systems for NHS services 111 Coronavirus Daily Sitrep data Directions 2020

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate systems for the collection and analysis of information systems for NHS Services: 111 Coronavirus daily sitrep data.


EU Exit Sitrep Data Collection Directions 2019

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the EU Exit Sitrep Data Collection Directions 2019. 


G

General practice appointments data collection in support of winter pressures Directions 2017

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the general practice appointments data collection in support of winter pressures information system.


General practice forward view data collection Directions 2017

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the general practice forward view data collection information system.


GP Streaming Audit Information System Direction 2018

Direction given by NHS England to establish and operate the GP Streaming Audit Information System.


I

Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Directions 2021

NHS England has directed NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Data. Establishment of information systems for NHS Services: Improving Access to Psychological Therapies data collection Directions 2021. 


L

Long Length of Stay Discharge Patient Tracking List Directions 2019

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the Long Length of Stay Discharge Patient Tracking List.


M

Mental health services Directions 2020

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the mental health services Directions 2020. 


N

National cancer waiting times monitoring (SCCI0147) Directions 2016

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the national cancer waiting times monitoring information system.


National diabetes audit directions 2017

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the National Diabetes audit information system.


NHS 111 First Sitrep Directions 2020

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate information systems to collect and analyse information from all NHS 111 providers in England. 


NHS 111 pathways Directions 2017

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the NHS 111 pathways data collection information system.


NHS Account Messaging and App Push Notifications Service Direction

Directions given by NHS England to direct NHS Digital to deliver the NHS Account Messaging and App Push Notifications service.


NHS Continuing Healthcare Directions 2022

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate information systems for NHS Continuing Healthcare Directions data collection. 


Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (Data Collection) Directions 2022

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to operate a system for the collection and dissemination of information relating to the delivery of the Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services National Data (Data Collection). 


O

Online and video consultation undertaken in general practice

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to operate a system for the collection and dissemination of information relating to online and video consultations


P

Patient Level Information and Costing Systems (PLICS) Early Implementers Collection for Further Services for FY2021/22 data Direction 2022

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection and analysis of information described in the Patient Level Information and Costing Systems (PLICS) early implementers collection for further services for the financial year 2021/22 data.  


Personal Health Budget (data collection) Directions 2021

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to operate a system for the collection and analysis of information from Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGS), and Integrated Care Boards, about the numbers of individuals with personal health budgets.


Physical health checks for people with severe mental Illness Directions 2020

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate information systems for the physical health checks for people with severe mental Illness Directions data collection. 


Primary care registration management Directions 2018

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection to be known as the Primary care registration management information system.


R

Register with a GP Surgery Directions 2022

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to operate and maintain a new national online patient General Practice registration service.


S

Safeguarding Case Review Tracker Directions 2021

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate information to to provide a Safeguarding Case Review Tracker .


T

Talent Insights (Board Vacancies and Commercial Spend collections) Directions 2021

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information described in the talent insights (Board Vacancies and Commercial Spend Collection) Directions requirements specification.


Tobacco Dependence Workstream Directions 2021

The purpose of these Directions (Purpose) is to enable NHS Digital to provide support for the commitments in the NHS Long Term Plan (LTP) in relation to the prevention of smoking and the offer of supportive measures to individuals that wish to stop smoking.


W

Wayfinder (NHS App) Services Directions 2022

Direction from NHS England to enable NHS Digital to provide a service to NHS patients in England through the NHS App to securely view summary details of their scheduled appointments with acute NHS Trusts and to enable them to access further details about those appointments from the NHS App (the Purpose).


Winter assurance collection Directions 2018

Directions given by NHS England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of information to be known as the winter assurance collection system.