We have detected that you are using Internet Explorer to visit this website. Internet Explorer is now being phased out by Microsoft. As a result, NHS Digital no longer supports any version of Internet Explorer for our web-based products, as it involves considerable extra effort and expense, which cannot be justified from public funds. Some features on this site will not work. You should use a modern browser such as Edge, Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. If you have difficulty installing or accessing a different browser, contact your IT support team.
Hospital Episode Statistics: GDPR information
Summary
Why and how we process your data within Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) services, and your rights.
| Controller | NHS Digital |
| How we use the information (processing activities) | Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data is administrative and clinical data including data on operations and diagnosis. It's collected from providers of NHS funded hospital care and is used to analyse hospital activity for monitoring and improving the management of health and care services. NHS Digital collects the data and undertakes data quality activity before making the data available to care providers, Healthcare Resource Groups (HRGs), approved NHS Commissioners, and other interested parties. Also used to prepare and publish a range of statistical publications. |
| Does this contain sensitive (special category) data such as health information? | Yes |
| Who are recipients of this data? |
Patient Level Information Costings System (PLICS) dataset, Medication Safety: Prescribing Dataset, See Data Release Register |
| Is data transferred outside the UK? | Within Europe |
| How long the data is kept | 8 years minimum after no longer required |
| Our lawful basis for holding this data | Legal obligation |
| Your rights |
|
| How can you withdraw your consent? |
Consent not the basis for processing |
| Is the data subject to decisions made solely by computers? (automated decision making) | No |
| Where does this data come from? | SUS + dataset |
| The legal basis for collecting this data | Legal obligation (Direction) and management of health and social care systems |
Where NHS Digital uses this data
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) is a data warehouse containing details of all admissions, outpatient appointments and A and E attendances at NHS hospitals in England.