These statistics are produced from the Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS) and are published monthly.
The MHSDS is a complex relational data set which collects record-level data on NHS-funded specialist mental health, learning disabilities and autism services. As a secondary uses data set it intends to re-use clinical and operational data for purposes other than direct patient care.
The MHSDS is unique in its coverage, because it covers not only services provided in hospitals, but also in outpatient clinics and in the community, where the majority of people in contact with these services are treated. MHSDS brings together key information from Adult and Children's mental health, learning disabilities or autism spectrum disorder, CYP-IAPT and early intervention care pathway that has been captured on clinical systems as part of patient care.
From April 2019 data, the MHSDS is collected via the Strategic Data Collection Service (SDCS) Cloud service using the MHSDS v4.0 Intermediate Database (IDB). Prior to this, MHSDS data was collected via the Bureau Service Portal.
Unlike the Bureau Service Portal, the SDCS Cloud an internet-facing service that does not require an N3 or HSCN connection, making it easier for providers to submit data and therefore enabling better coverage in published statistics. This new service stores MHSDS data in cloud-based infrastructure.
Detailed guidance is available to support providers in making submissions via the SDCS Cloud. This includes detailed technical and user guidance. New providers must complete a defined process to gain access to the SDCS Cloud. It also uses two-factor authentication as the secure method of confirming user identity using a combination of two different factors.