Skip to main content

ODS roadmap

Future changes planned and past changes delivered for ODS.

Strategy

ODS will continue to underpin the health and social care system, by providing easy access to high quality, trusted organisation reference data.

Our main objectives are:

  • single source of truth for organisation reference data
  • continuous data enhancements
  • agile in responding to the changing needs of the NHS (integrated care etc)
  • high quality, relevant products utilising latest technology (interoperability)

Roadmap

The ODS roadmap outlines the high level objectives and projects we are researching or planning to deliver in the coming months.

The longer term objectives of ODS will be aligned to the NHS England Master Reference Data Strategy, which is currently under development.

This roadmap was last reviewed by the team on 6 January 2025.

January to March 2025
  • Deprecation of ODS Portal and ODS DataPoint.
  • Data Search & Export (DSE) release 3, enhancing system functionality.
  • Begin consultations with ORD API users to assess the impact of migrating to the FHIR R4 API.
  • Support COVID Spring and Summer 2025 campaign with the provision of vaccination site codes and reference data.
  • Initiate a pilot audit of NHS trust data, collaborating with the relevant organisation’s primary contacts and GP signatories.
  • Roll out a new process for requesting, amending, and closing ODS codes.
  • Re-develop tooling to load clinician codes to the Spine.
April to June 2025
  • Ongoing engagement with all users of ODS legacy products to assist in their transition to the FHIR R4 API or DSE.
  • Begin the audit process for NHS trust data, with support from the respective organisation’s primary contacts and GP signatories.
  • ODS to be core members of a team who will engage with the Integrated Care Board (ICB) community in a discovery to seek an answer to the key question: Is there a consensus across the NHS in England that NHS England needs to facilitate and publish national reference data for entities or geographies below ICB level (place and neighbourhood)?
July to October 2025
  • Rationalisation of ODS products, such as TRUD and csv files.

Change history

In this section you can find project milestones that the service reached in previous years.

2024
  • On 1 November 2024, delivered data changes and provided advice and guidance to statutory organisations reconfiguring (mergers and closures) for Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust and North London NHS Foundation Trust. 
  • Business case approved for Data Search & Export (DSE), authorising planned enhancements.
  • Published a data quality assessment framework, evaluating each ODS dataset against established data quality dimensions.
  • In October 2024, launched the ODS Data Search and Export tool, set to replace the ODS Portal and ODS DataPoint in January 2025.
  • Delivered a new FHIR R4 API for organisation, location, and practitioner data, designed to replace the current STU3 & ORD API following a parallel running phase.
  • In October 2024, released the first iteration of the Data Reference Catalogue. 
  • On 1 October, delivered data changes, and provided advice and guidance to statutory organisations reconfiguring (mergers and closures) for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS Trust.
  • On 1 July 2024, transfer of services for Hounslow and Richmond NHS Trust.
  • Public beta release on 31 July 2024 of new ODS Data Search and Export tool that will replace the ODS Portal and ODS DataPoint after a period of parallel running.
  • Delivered data enhancement including the publication of ePACT codes via the ODS API Suite.
  • On 1 April 2024, delivered data changes, and provided advice and guidance to statutory organisations reconfiguring (mergers and closures) for Humber and North Yorkshire.
  • Delivered data enhancements for UPRN data for pharmacies updated and ePACT code data quality review.
  • Developed and tested solutions to provide meaningful sub-ICB codes for the 5 London ICBs to address service tickets raised.
2023
  • Created data and relevant processes to support the rollout of Electronic Prescription Service (ePS) in Wales.
  • Publication of Abeyance and Dispersal code via the ODS API (moving towards our objective of a 'single source of truth' across all data products).
  • Introduced new 'Is Partner To' relationships between Trust and ICB codes to support national reporting (available via ODS API).
  • Supported COVID Autumn and Winter 2023 campaign with the provision of vaccination site codes and reference data.

Get involved

To discuss and provide input to our strategy and roadmap, contact us.

Last edited: 8 January 2025 4:30 pm