A national multi-professional group of podiatrists, vascular and orthopaedic surgeons, diabetologists, and service user representatives, chaired by Prof William Jeffcoate, 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 Digital 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 Digital to supply data from the treatment of their patients.
The NHS England direction only covers service providers in England. For Wales, the legal basis for the collection of data will remain as Section 251 and patients will still need to be consented. There will be no change for how organisations participate in the audit for Wales.
The NDFA is delivered by NHS Digital, in collaboration with Diabetes UK and supported by the National Cardiovascular Intelligence Network (part of Public Health England).