The health secretary and other parts of the health service can ask NHS Digital to collect information on specific topics so that they can improve patient care.
Directions and Data Provision Notices
Mandatory requests from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
Section 255 of the Health and Social Care Act enables the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to make a request to the HSCIC (now known as NHS Digital) on matters concerning the provision of health care or adult social care.
Mandatory requests from NHS Improvement
The Health and Social Care Act sets out the powers of the Secretary of State and NHS England to direct the HSCIC (now known as NHS Digital) to carry out additional functions concerning: Information functions, the information functions of any health or social care body and systems delivery functions.
Secretary of State Directions
Section 254 of the Health and Social Care Act enables the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to direct the HSCIC (now known as NHS Digital) on matters concerning the provision of health services or adult social care in England.
Data Provision Notices (DPNs)
NHS Digital, issues a Data Provision Notice each time it uses the statutory power under Section 259 (1) of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.
NHS England Directions
Section 254 of the Health and Social Care Act enables NHS England to direct the HSCIC (now known as NHS Digital) on matters concerning the provision of NHS services in England.
Public Health England Directions
Section 254 of the Health and Social Care Act enables the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to direct the HSCIC (now known as NHS Digital) on matters concerning the provision of health services or adult social care in England. Public Health England can issue a direction on behalf of the Secretary of State on matters concerning public health in England.
NHS Wales non-mandatory requests
Section 255(1) of the Health and Social Care Act enables organisations to make a request to the HSCIC (now known as NHS Digital) to establish and operate a system for the collection and analysis of information, where the information is required to support the provision of health or adult social care.