A national multi-professional group of podiatrists, vascular and orthopaedic surgeons, diabetologists, and service user representatives, chaired by Frances Game, with the support of the NDA Clinical Lead, Robert Young, guides the development and delivery of the NDFA.
From May 2017 the legal basis for collecting, processing and holding data within the National Diabetes Audit Programme changed. Since then NHS England has directed NHS England to collect patient identifiable data for the audits from providers in England. Due to how the contract for the NDFA and collection/submission deadlines fall, it was decided to implement the changeover in August 2017. The new legal basis for data to be collected by the NDFA (Direction under section 254 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012) will mean the submission of data for the NDFA audit will be mandated for NHS footcare clinics and specialist MDFT services in England. Therefore, primary and secondary health services which deal with diabetic footcare in England, will need to work with NHS England to supply data from the treatment of their patients.
The NDFA has been running under a direction (s254 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012) from NHS England, where providers in England do not require consent from patients. This direction did not apply to Wales and so patients had to continue to be consented to collect their data.
We have now received a request (s255 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012) from the Welsh Assembly Government, which means we no longer require patients in Wales to be consented. Apart from consent, there will be no change for how organisations participate in the audit for Wales.
The NDFA is delivered by NHS England, in collaboration with Diabetes UK and supported by the National Cardiovascular Intelligence Network (part of Public Health England).
Read more NDFA guidance.