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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. The Secretary of State can instruct NHS Digital to:
• Put in place systems to collect and analyse information.
• Develop or operate information or communication systems.
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.
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.
Out of Area Placements for adults in acute mental health inpatient services Direction (extension) 2018
Direction to continue the collection of information about Out of Area Placements (OAPs) for adults in acute mental health inpatient services from April 2018 for a further six months.
Out of Area Placements for adults in acute mental health inpatient services Direction number 3 (further extension) 2018
A Direction given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to continue to operate an informatics support service for the collection of information about out of area placements (OAPs) for adults in acute mental health inpatient services from 1 April 2019 to 31 October 2019.
Community services data set Directions 2017
Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate an informatics system for the collection and analysis of community health services data.
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.
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 individual 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.
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.
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
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 pandemic flu service digital services Direction 2015
Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system to collect and analyse information to support the National pandemic flu service digital service.
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, and to exercise such systems delivery functions of the Secretary of State as are expedient for NHS Digital to carry out the functions for the patient objections information system.
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.
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
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 for it to deliver the Spine services, and to exercise such systems delivery functions of the Secretary of State as are necessary for it to deliver the Spine services.
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 developer 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
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.
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 requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system to be known as the Workforce Information System requiring NHS Digital for the collection and analysis of workforce data.
Life sciences Directions 2019
NHS Digital is directed to establish and operate a system for the analysis of information to be known as the Life Sciences Directions 2019.
Out of Area Placements for Adults in Acute Mental Health Inpatient Services Directions 2020
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.
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.
Out of area placements for adults in acute mental health inpatient services Directions 2020 extension
An extension for the 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 centre services Directions 2020
Directions given by the Secretary of State 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, working with the National Cyber Security Centre.
Community Services Data Set Directions 2020
Directions given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to establish and operate a system for the collection or analysis of information from the Community Services providers in England.
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, and provide the mandatory information specified, to support local health and care systems.
Out of Area Placements for Adults in Acute Mental Health Inpatient Services Direction 2021
A Direction letter given by the Secretary of State for Health requiring NHS Digital to continue to operate an informatics support service for the collection of information about out of area placements (OAPs) for adults in acute mental health inpatient services
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
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.