Reporting on mental health equality

A key step in improving the accuracy and completeness of data linked to equality is to increase the availability of intelligence derived from it so that national and local teams can use it to drive decision making, planning and assurance.

To support and monitor improvement of data quality, it is routinely reported in detail for both data sets via the MHSDS data quality dashboard and the IAPT data quality dashboard, produced by NHS Digital. There is variation in data quality of the data items covered by this guidance between the MHSDS and IAPT Data Set. Data quality of the completion of these data items across the two data sets is analysed against the following aspects of data quality:

Coverage: the proportion of people with the relevant data item completed.

Validity: the proportion of people where the data item has been completed with a valid code, or other acceptable entry.

Accuracy: the proportion of people where the data item has been completed with a valid and useful code - that is, not marked as other/unknown.

The data quality dashboards allow users to investigate the completeness of data submitted to the data sets, including at provider level, for all of the data items. NHS Digital have also shared a recording of a demonstration of the MHSDS dashboard.

The Data Quality Maturity Index (DQMI)

All of the data items in this guidance will also be included in the Data Quality Maturity Index (DQMI) report as experimental from April 2022. The DQMI is a monthly report which aims to provide detailed information about the quality of the data submitted for key data items that are important to services and commissioners. The report provides maturity scores, both nationally and split by provider, considering the percentage of valid and complete entries for data item and is proportional to the number of providers submitting data.

The inclusion of new data items in the DQMI, including the demographics data items, will not impact existing scores during 2022/23. The only change that will impact the DQMI from April 2023 is that the 'gender identity code' data item will be the priority item used to assess gender identity data quality, with the 'person stated gender code' data item being used if no data is recorded against gender identity. Submitting 'not known' or 'not stated' against gender identity against all records will therefore reduce DQMI scoring for gender, and overall.

NHS Digital and NHS England and Improvement will be working with Regional Offices to ensure the reporting on the DQMI is effective in supporting improvement. These data items will also be reviewed across 2022/23 to assess which of the new data items are appropriate to incorporate into the main DQMI score in 2023/24, and which items require further support and improvement before they are included.

To support this work at a national level a range of reports are available, which are set out below, and will continue to be expanded on.

Management information reporting from NHS England and NHS Improvement

A range of reports have been produced by the national mental health programmes that provide detailed information at a national, regional, ICS and provider level. The reporting is focused on programmes of work to deliver the NHS Long Term Plan for Mental Health and linked priorities, such as implementation of the Mental Health Act Review. These reports primarily include breakdowns for demographics with good data quality, but where possible will be expanded to include the characteristics included in this guidance.

These reports can be accessed through the Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Resource Hub.