if you are unable to view this email please click here to view online.

Data Insight

Issue 7
07/11/2014

Welcome to issue 7

In this edition we feature the latest news on the Data Access Request Service – including new data sharing documentation, events and publications.

The aim is to make the bulletin relevant to your work and to highlight the importance of the collection and use of health and social care data.

The circulation of the bulletin is continuing to grow and now has a large and diverse audience with more than 700 subscribers.

Many thanks

Chris Roebuck,
Director of Benefits and Utilisation

New data sharing documentation

As part of our work to review and improve the processes and procedures used to support the data release and audit process, we have developed new data sharing documentation.

The new data sharing documentation is split into two parts:

Data Sharing Framework Contract, which will be completed by each organisation requesting data.
Data Sharing Agreement, which will be completed for each instance of data sharing with that organisation by the HSCIC.

All customers who currently hold a Data Sharing or Data Re-Use agreement covering the data they receive from the HSCIC are being asked to complete the necessary parts of the new Data Sharing Framework Contract.

We will then start a process of migrating existing Data Sharing or Data Re-Use agreements to the new Data Sharing Agreement.

An email was sent to customers on Friday 24 October 2014 providing further information and a copy of the new contract. If you have not received this information, please contact us at enquiries@hscic.gov.uk quoting ‘Data Sharing Contract’ in the subject field.

Data Access Request Service Dashboard

As outlined in our last update, a number of measures have been brought in to improve progress on the backlog of data releases. A central team has been established to assist with the more complex cases and support customer engagement. Additional guidance material has also been produced to support applicants when submitting requests. This guidance is available on our website. These measures are now starting to take effect and we remain wholly committed to ensuring they continue.

Please see the latest dashboard figures above and on our website.

Meet the team

Event feedback

Information Intermediaries engagement event

Many thanks if you were one of the delegates who attended our first engagement event on 31 October at the King's Fund in London.

The agenda covered an update on the reduction of the data request backlog; the new Data Access Request Service (DARS) and the requirements work for secure data access facilities.

If you attended this event we would appreciate your feedback so that we can use it to shape future events.

Feedback on this event

News of further events connected with other aspects of our work will appear in future editions of this bulletin.

Upcoming events

27 November: Chris Dew is speaking about ‘Estimating the risk of mortality in hospital patients’ at the Government Statistics Service Conference (GSS) in York. Chris’ presentation will cover how the Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI) is produced and
how we statistically model the risk of mortality for patients treated in hospitals.

The main themes for this year’s conference are ‘preparing for the future’ and ‘increasing the value of statistics’.

Publications calendar

Our publications calendar provides details of previous and scheduled publications.

Find data in our catalogue

Browse our data catalogue containing official statistics, surveys, audits and reports

Sign up to receive Data Insight

Subscribe to Data Insight or forward this issue to a friend or colleague

Get in touch

If you have any feedback or have a topic you'd like to know more about then email us at: enquiries@hscic.gov.uk

This newsletter is published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Unsubscribe from this newsletter.