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 (known as NHS Digital) on matters concerning the provision of health services or adult social care in England.

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.

Where NHS Digital was required to or previously accepted a request under section 255 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (2012 Act) to establish and operate an information system, that request is regarded under the Transfer Regulations as a request made to and accepted by NHS England.

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 made after the Transfer Date will continue to be published here.

NHS App Directions 2023

Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to require NHS England to develop and operate the NHS App Platform and related services (collectively the NHS App Services).

NHS England De-Identified Data Analytics and Publication Directions 2023

Directions given by the Secretary of State to establish arrangements for the governance of the ongoing processing of de-identified data and a framework for the future analysis, linkage and de-identification of data for analysis by NHS England. Also varying previous directions in relation to restrictions on publication of data.

The Acute Data Alignment Programme Discovery Directions 2021

Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to support the aims of the Acute Data Alignment Programme (ADAPt).

National Disease Registries Directions 2021

Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to support the transfer of responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the National Disease Registration Service.

General Practice Data for Planning and Research revocation letter

Letter from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care revoking the General Practice Data for Planning and Research Directions 2021 issued to NHS Digital on 6 April 2021.

COVID-19 Public Health Directions 2020

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate information systems to collect and analyse data in connection with COVID-19, and develop and operate information and communication systems to deliver services in connection with COVID-19.

100,000 Genomes project Direction 2016

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate an informatics support service for the 100,000 genomes project.

Annual accounts Directions 2014

Directions given by the Secretary of State requiring the Health and Social Care Information Centre, now known as NHS Digital, to prepare accounts for the financial year ended 31 March 2014 and subsequent financial years.

Breast and Cosmetic Implant Registry Direction 2018

Direction given by the Department of Health and Social Care to NHS Digital to continue to operate the Breast and Cosmetic Implant Registry (BCIR).

Collection of client level adult social care data Direction 2017

Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection and analysis of client level adult social care data from certain local authorities to support local health and care systems by providing a holistic view of how services are used.

Collection of Out of Area Placements (OAPS) for adults in acute mental health inpatient services Direction 2016

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate an informatics support service for the collection of information about Out of Area Placements (OAPS) for adults in mental health inpatient services.

Data security and protection incident reporting tool Direction 2018

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system to be known as the Data Security and protection incident reporting tool Direction 2018.

Data security and protection toolkit data collections service Direction

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system to be known as the data security and protection toolkit data collections service.

Informatics systems for the collection or analysis of information Directions 2016

Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate informatics systems for the collection or analysis of information, and to exercise systems delivery functions in respect of the Electronic Prescription Service, the Health and Social Care Network, NHS Choices, N3, the NHS E-Referral Service, the Secondary Uses Service and Spine 2.

Emergency care data set (pilot) Direction 2016

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate an informatics system for the collection of emergency care data.

Employment advisers in IAPT Direction 2017

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate an informatics system for the collection and analysis of work data to support patient care and the evaluation of the initiative employment advisers in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT).

Female Genital Mutilation Risk Indication System (FGM RIS) Directions 2015

Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate the Female Genital Mutilation Risk Indication System (FGM RIS).

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Directions 2015

Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection and analysis of information to be known as the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) information system.

GP Level Data Direction 2018

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection and analysis of GP level data.

GP metrics Direction 2016

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection and analysis of individual GP data.

HSCN Services Direction 2017

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate such systems for the collection and analysis of data, and to exercise a system delivery function for use within the sector by health care providers whose data will traverse the network.

Health and care analytical services Direction 2018

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health to establish and operate an informatics system for information related to analysis of health and care interventions, known as the Health and Care Analytical Service (HCAS).

Learning disabilities census Directions 2014

Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate the learning disabilities census; and to exercise the system delivery functions described in the direction.

Local stop smoking services dataset Direction 2017

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate an informatics system for the collection of data from local stop smoking services.

Medication safety data collection and analysis Direction 2017

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of patient identifiable primary care prescribing and dispensing data from the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) for the purposes of analysis and linkage to Hospital Episode Statistical data (HES).

Medication Safety Data Collection and Analysis Direction (No 2) 2018

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of patient identifiable primary care prescribing and dispensing data from the NHS Business Services Authority.

The migration and continued operation of the Unify2 collections through Strategic Data Collections Service Direction 2017

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish the migration of the Unify2 collections listed in Annex A onto NHS Digital's Strategic Data Collections Service (SDCS) and continue the operation of these collections through this service.

National data opt out Direction 2017

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection and analysis of information, and to exercise such systems delivering functions, in respect of the new national opt-out model.

National data opt-out Direction 2018

National pandemic flu service digital services Direction 2015

Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate such systems for the collection and analysis of information as are necessary to deliver the National Pandemic Flu Service Digital Services.

Patient objections Directions 2015

Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection and analysis of patient objections information.

Patient objections (type 2) Directions 2016

Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system to process and uphold Type 2 objections, and to analyse how Type 2 objections may affect the data released by NHS Digital.

Sales and purchases of unbranded generic medicines and special medicinal products Directions 2018

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish an information system for the collection or analysis of information about sales and purchases of unbranded generic medicines and special medicinal products, from manufacturers, wholesalers and importers.

Sexual and reproductive health activity dataset Direction 2017

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate an informatics system for the collection and analysis of sexual and reproductive health data.

Spine services (no 2) 2014 Direction

Statements of fitness for work Directions 2015

Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate an information system known as Statement of Fitness for Work Information System.

Surplus land data collection Direction 2018

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection and analysis of information related to NHS surplus land.

NHS Choices on-line services information or communications systems Directions 2013

Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to develop or operate NHS Choices on-line services information or communications systems.

Transitional local safeguarding children’s board data collection on child death reviews Direction 2018

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system to collect and analyse information on child death reviews from Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards in England.

Weekly ICU/HDU Flu Collection (UK Severe Influenza Surveillance System) Direction 2017

A Direction issued by Public Health England on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of the Weekly ICU/HDU Flu Collection (UK Severe Influenza Surveillance System).

Establishment of systems: digital interoperability platform 2019

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to develop and operate such IT applications, IT infrastructure and IT systems as are necessary to deliver the digital interoperability platform.

Adult Social Care Collections Directions 2019

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection and analysis of adult social care data.

NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) Medicines Data Directions 2019

Medicines spend and use data discovery Directions 2019

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish a collection of medicines spend and use data.

Workforce information Directions 2019

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health Workforce Information System requiring NHS Digital for the collection and analysis of workforce data.

Life sciences Directions 2019

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system to be known as the Life Sciences Directions 2019.

Surgical devices and implants Directions

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital collect and analyse information that NHS Digital does not already collect under separate directions regarding surgical devices and implants.

Data security centre services Directions 2020

Directions given by the Secretary of State requiring the Health and Social Care Information Centre to create the Data Security Centre to support health and care organisations to be more cyber resilient and respond to incidents promptly when they happen.

Community Services Data Set Directions 2020

To obtain national, comparable, standardised data about Community Services from community services providers, as such terms are used and construed in the Information Standard DCB1069: Community Services Data Set.

Withdrawal Agreement (Verification of Entitlement to Healthcare Benefits) Direction 2020

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection and analysis of information to the extent necessary for it to provide confirmation of a person’s EU settlement status to the NHSBSA.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Surveys Directions 2021

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate such systems for the collection and analysis of mental health and wellbeing surveys information.

Collection of Client-Level Adult Social Care Data (No 2) Direction

Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a pilot system for the collection and analysis of client-level adult social care data from participating local authorities.

NHS Login Directions 2021

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to provide the NHS Digital Citizen Identity Platform and related services, collectively the NHS login Services.

Health and Social Care Information Centre (Immigration Health Charge) Directions 2021

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system to be known as the Immigration Health Charge Information System.

Cost Recovery Collection, Processing and Dissemination of overseas visitor and UK Patient-Level Data Directions 2021

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection and analysis of data associated with a patient’s eligibility for free NHS services.

Pilot NHS DigiTrials Recruitment Support Services Directions 2021

A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the analysis and linkage of information to be known as the pilot NHS Digitrials Recruitment Support Services Directions Information System.

Amendment to the named programmes Directions 2016

Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health to amend the original Directions requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate informatics systems for the collection or analysis of information, and to exercise systems delivery functions.

Direction for the NHS health check for adults aged 40-74 years data extraction

Direction given by Public Health England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection and analysis of data on the NHS Health Check programme; specifically this will concern data on the 'NHS Health Check for adults aged 40-74 years'.

NHS Health Check General Practice Data Extraction Direction (No. 2)

Direction for the General Practice to Diabetic Retinopathy Screening (GP2DRS)

Direction given by Public Health England requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection of data for the GP2DRS programme.

Direction for the collection and analysis of cancer registration information from Public Health England (PHE)

Direction for the collection and analysis of cancer registration information from Public Health England (PHE).

Cover of Vaccination Evaluated Rapidly (COVER) Direction 2019

Direction to establish and operate an informatics system for the collection of information on childhood vaccine coverage in England.

Adult Social Care Provider Information Collection Directions 2023

Direction to collect information connected with the health care system or adult social care system in England for relevant providers of adult social care.

NHS Covid-19 Vaccine Research Registry Communications System Directions 2023

Direction to to send electronic communications about wider opportunities for health research participation to those individuals registered on the Covid-19 Vaccine Research Registry.

Collection of Client Level Adult Social Care Data (No 3) Directions 2023

Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS England to establish and operate a system for the collection and analysis of client level adult social care data from local authorities, and provide the mandatory information specified, to support local health and care systems.

NHS Wayfinder Services Directions 2023

Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to require NHS England to develop and operate the NHS Wayfinder programme and related services (collectively the NHS Wayfinder Services).

Last edited: 6 July 2023 11:58 am