Our role and remit in the health service
NHS Digital supplies information and data to the health service, provides vital technological infrastructure, and helps different parts of health and care work together.
NHS Digital is the national information and technology partner for the health and care system. Our systems and information help doctors, nurses and other health care professionals improve efficiency and make care safer. We:
- provide information and data to the health service so that it can plan effectively and monitor progress
- create and maintain the technological infrastructure that keeps the health service running and links systems together to provide seamless care
- develop information standards that improve the way different parts of the system communicate
Our responsibilities
Our legal duties include:
- collecting, analysing and publishing health and care data
- making submitting data as easy as possible for health and care staff
- providing national technology for health and care services
- producing information standards
- improving the quality of health and care information and data
- publishing national indicators for health and care, to measure quality of care and progress against policy initiatives
- giving advice and support to health and care organisations on information and cyber security
Read the Department of Health remit to NHS Digital 2017-18.
Our place in the health and care system
Our official name is the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC). We have used the name NHS Digital since July 2016. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 ordered our creation by statute, and sets out our responsibilities. The Department of Health (DH) set up the HSCIC in April 2013, as an executive non-departmental public body. We report to DH and implement DH policy. We work closely with NHS England, the National Information Board, NHS Improvement, and all parts of the NHS and social care in England.