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Trauma Audit and Research Network Dataset

The Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) dataset is the precursor to the National Major Trauma Registry (NMTR). The NMTR is a clinical audit for trauma care across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland. The TARN dataset contains records for around 400K individuals with around 3.5million separate injury codes treated in England and Wales only. Trauma is defined as serious injuries that could result in death or a life-changing disability.

Page contents

Data was collected on trauma patients of any age who met one of the following criteria:

  • 3 days plus length of stay or
  • died or
  • transferred to another healthcare provider or setting
  • and have sustained an NMTR eligible traumatic injury

The following exclusions apply:

  • Isolated Neck of femur or Inter/Greater trochanteric fractures greater than 65 year
  • fractures documented as ‘closed’ and ‘simple’ or ‘stable’ if single or isolated injury only

For complete inclusion criteria please see National major trauma registry (NMTR) data collection. 

Data set available in packages

Packages are pre-defined groups of fields and or tables that allow a customer to select from a list that best meets their needs. Packages do not allow a customer to customise their field or table selection.

  • No

Period of data coverage

The TARN dataset is a static collection which covers data between 04/04/2007 - 15/06/2023.

Geographical scope of data

England and Wales

Linkable to other data sets

  • Yes - options for linking using either pseudonymised data or NHS number

Associated data sets

Not applicable 

Data collection process

Submitted by: All trauma receiving hospitals 

Collected by: University of Manchester 

Frequency: One-off transfer of historic dataset from University of Manchester to NHS England

Clinical coding systems

Does the data set include any standardised systems of coding?

None of the considered coding systems are used as responses in the data fields

Full list of coding systems considered

SNOMED-CT (a structured clinical vocabulary for use in electronic health records.)

ICD  (International Classification of Diseases classifies diseases and other health conditions.)

OPCS-4  (Office of Population Census and Surveys classification of interventions and surgical procedures)

dm+d  (Dictionary of descriptions and codes which represent medicines and devices in use across the NHS.)

NICIP (National Interim Clinical Imaging Procedure provides consistent recording of imaging procedures.)

UCUM  (Unified Code for Units of Measure (UCUM) is a code system intended to include all units of measurement.)

TFCs (Treatment Function Codes are used to record treatment activities undertaken)

Read Code v2  (A coded thesaurus of clinical terms.)

Read Code Clinical Terms v3 (A coded thesaurus of clinical terms.)

UICC (Union for International Cancer Control classification of cancer by anatomic disease extent.)

IMD  (Indices of Multiple Deprivation measures relative poverty.)

Derived fields

No standardised formulation has been applied to this data set to generate commonly derived fields. 

Full list of standard derivations considered

GP_PRACTICE_CODE_TRACED (The GP practice that the patient is registered at, as found when traced against the Person Demographic Service (PDS).)

CCG_OF_RESIDENCE (Clinical Commissioning Group covering the area in which the patient’s postcode falls where data relates to pre 1 July 2022. Otherwise ICB Sub Location.)

ICS_OF_RESIDENCE (The Integrated Care System covering the area in which the patient’s postcode falls. This will be null for any data relating to earlier than 1 July 2022.)

LA_OF_RESIDENCE (The Local Authority covering the area in which the patient’s postcode falls.)

LSOA_OF_RESIDENCE (The Lower Super Output Area (lowest level without being disclosive) covering the area in which the patient’s postcode falls.)

CCG_OF_REGISTRATION (Clinical Commissioning Group which has a commissioning relationship with the GP practice which the patient is registered at where data relates to pre 1 July 2022. Otherwise ICB Sub Location.)

ICS_OF_REGISTRATION (The Integrated Care System covering the area in which the patient’s GP practice falls. This will be null until for any data relating to earlier than 1 July 2022.)

LA_OF_REGISTRATION (The Local Authority covering the area in which the patient’s GP practice falls.)

LSOA_OF_REGISTRATION (The Lower Super Output Area (lowest level without being disclosive) covering the area in which the patient’s GP practice falls.)

Third party licensing

Does the data set require copyrighted clinical assessment tools or outcome measures that require a licence?

  • No

Advice and support

Governance of this data set is provided by:

Owning organisation: NHS England

Data Controller: NHS England

Data Processor: NHS England

NHS England provides a variety of functions for the data sets we make available.  Therefore, our knowledge and understanding of the data will vary, impacting the level of advice and support we can provide.

In relation to this data set, we undertake end to end management and can therefore provide a full advice, guidance and support service.

Supporting documentation and guidance

As this is historical data, publications are no longer available. Data quality information is not published. The historical information standard for TARN can be found at: ISB 1606: Trauma Audit and Research Network Standards Data Set.  

For more context on major trauma collections the National Major Trauma Registry is helpful and makes reference to the older TARN dataset. 

National Major Trauma Registry Transparency Notice

Last edited: 18 May 2026 10:22 am