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API synchronising delay
As a result of the significant volume of changes being pushed to the ODS API we have experienced a delay in updating this data.
Users utilising the last change date feature of the API should temporarily synchronise their data using (date of processing – 2 days) as their last change date and should do so until conclusion of the reconfiguration activities (mid-April).
Following conclusion of these activities, ODS recommend that you refresh data using the last change date of 2020-04-01 to be certain that your systems are fully synchronised with ODS data.
Issue resolved: The reconfiguration activities are now complete and the API is fully synchronised. Users making use of the sync endpoint should carry out a one-off synchronisation using a last change date of 2020-04-01 before commencing a standard daily update routine using (date of processing -1 day).
Two APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) exist currently which provide to access our Organisation Data Service (ODS) data.
These are hosted within a single service called the ODS API Suite and the data is available to all consumers and is free at the point of use.
Benefits of the ODS API suite
The APIs are built using RESTful principles (Representational State Transfer) which makes it easy to retrieve updates to the information.
The APIs complement the XML ORD products available through the NHS Digital Terminology Reference data Update Distribution service (TRUD). The published standard Health and Social Care Organisation Reference Data (DCB0090) approved by the Data Co-ordination Board (DCB) has been amended to direct consumers towards the ORD API.
Users can choose which of the two APIs best supports the standards they have in place and the goals of their service, the ORD compatible API or the FHIR compatible API, or can use both. The ORD compatible API contains the full record from ODS, and the FHIR compatible API contains a reduced dataset, most useful for helping with transactions.
High level technical illustration
ORD compatible API
This API is designed to be compatible with the Organisation Reference Data (ORD) standard and contains the full record from ODS.
Intended customers
Users who have adopted the ORD standard and who want to hold data locally.
Features
The ORD compatible API:
- the user baselines data using the XML products and connects to the service to retrieve updates at a time that suits the user
- the user synchronises changes into a local data store via the 'LastChangeDate' mechanism which allows users to retrieve records which have changed
Output format
XML, JSON
Attributes
All attributes from:
- Organisation (such as OrgID, Name, Open Date, Close Date, LastChangeDate, Status)
- Geographic Location (Address Details)
- Contacts (mailto, http, tel, fax)
- Roles (Primary and Non-Primary Roles)
- Relationships (Legal and Operational Relationships including history where this has been captured by ODS)
- Succession (History of legal Succession following reconfiguration/mergers, etc.)
- Additional Attributes (Data Items included to support policy and pragmatic change)
FHIR compatible API
This API is designed to work with the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources Standard (FHIR - pronounced 'fire'), created by Health Level Seven.
Intended customers
Users looking for a simple way to support health transactions and interoperability.
Features
The FHIR compatible API is a transactional interface which:
- is based on the Health Level Seven International (HL7) FHIR standard
- provides access to Organisation Reference Data
Output format
XML, JSON
Attributes
A subset of information from:
- Organisation
- Geographic location
- Contacts
- Roles
Last edited: 2 August 2019 10:35 am