The Challenging Burden Service (CBS) offers advice, guidance, and support around minimising data collection burden.
We have made some changes to the way we manage our burden service, following these changes:
We offer advice and guidance to minimise the amount of work involved in responding to new or existing data requests.
We work with health and social care organisations to share and identify good practice around how data is collected, collated and shared.
We offer a confidential way for you to refer data requests that you feel would benefit from further scrutiny via our Collection Referral Service.
We have responsibilities under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to provide advice to the Secretary of State for health around burden minimisation.
The Challenging Burden Service is no longer responsible for the burden assessment function. Data collections are now assured by the Data Standards Assurance Service (DSAS) on behalf of the Data Coordination Board (DCB). Please contact standards.assurance@nhs.net for further information
If you are a potential (data) collector please check the NHS Standard Contract: Approved Collections webpage before requesting a burden assessment application form. This page is managed by the Data Standards and Assurance Service (DSAS) and updated monthly.
When we receive a Direction to collect information, we issue a Data Provision Notice. It provides details about the data collection and information if organisations need to take any action.
We work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and Arm's Length Bodies (ALBs) to support the development of burden reduction plans. These plans set out how each organisation plans to reduce the data burden they place on the health and social care system in England and to minimise bureaucracy.
Refer data collections to us confidentially if you think we should assess whether they are necessary or could be improved.