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Organisation Data Service case studies

A selection of brief case studies that describe how the Organisation Data Service (ODS) contributes to front line patient care.

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Organisation codes and reference data are fundamental to enabling the operation of almost all NHS IT systems. Our data enables system messaging, referrals, access control, financial processes, as well as reporting and analytics, at all points along the patient pathway.

Below are a selection of case studies that reflect how ODS enables front line patient care.

COVID vaccination sites

During the COVID pandemic, ODS data was crucial to the set up of 'point of care' systems at vaccination sites across the country, and how these systems reported vaccination activities.

In very short timescales, ODS created a data model for COVID vaccination sites and published data via an ODS API.

This supported:
  • Point of care system set up and messaging at the site - ODS code required to create system endpoint
  • Vaccination supply/delivery to site - uses ODS site code address and UPRN
  • Vaccination event claims and payment processes - vaccination sites are linked by ODS to ‘parent’ organisations who need to receive payment for vaccination events)
  • National reporting - vaccination events reported via COVID Dashboard, uses ODS site/parent/ICB/region codes to aggregate data
  • NHS App display of vaccination records for citizens - the app used ODS site names to show citizen where they had received their vaccine

Primary care networks

In 2019, a new coding model was agreed and published for primary care networks (PCNs).

ODS liaised with a range of NHS England policy, commissioning and finance colleagues to understand how ODS codes and reference data would be required to support the implementation of PCNs across the country, and their day-to-day operations.

ODS PCN data is published via the ODS API suite.

The API suite continues to support:
  • PCN payment calculations - ODS data shows which practice is part of which PCN, enabling payment calculations that are based on combined practice list sizes
  • PCN payment processing - ODS data shows the ‘nominated payee’ organisation for a PCN
  • National reporting of PCN activity
  • NHSmail account setup for PCN staff - mailbox creation required an ODS code

Migrant health

In March 2025, ODS supported the NHSE ‘Find and Treat’ programme to deliver health checks to people seeking asylum. Feedback received from the Head of Non-Detained Migrant Health Team, included:

“…The pilot went live on 6 March and a first cohort of 150 individuals were offered a structured health check and provided an induction into the NHS and a card with their NHS numbers. Without the GP ODS code, the clinical system would not have been available, and the clinical service would not have been able to start. …”

“…This pilot will allow us to measure what we hope to be significant tangible improvements to individuals’ care provision and to healthcare practitioners’ work when supporting vulnerable migrants...”
 

Last edited: 29 April 2025 9:20 am