Introduction
The Community Services Data Set (CSDS) is a PATIENT level, output based, secondary uses data set which delivers robust, comprehensive, nationally consistent and comparable person-centred information for people who are in contact with publicly-funded Community Health Services. As a secondary uses data set it aims to re-use clinical and operational data for purposes other than direct PATIENT care. It defines the data items, definitions and associated value sets to be extracted or derived from local systems.
The data collected in the Community Services Data Set covers all publicly-funded Community Health Services provided by Health Care Providers in England. This includes all SERVICES listed in the SERVICE OR TEAM TYPE REFERRED TO FOR COMMUNITY CARE within the Community Services Data Set. This includes acute and Independent Sector Healthcare Providers that provide publicly-funded Community Health Services.
The Community Services Data Set is used by the Department of Health and Social Care, commissioners and Health Care Providers of Community Health Services and PATIENTS, as the data set provides:
- National, comparable, standardised data about Community Health Services that are being delivered, which will support intelligent commissioning decisions and SERVICE provision
- Information on the use of resources to improve the operational management of SERVICES
- Information on outcomes, to help to address health inequalities
- Support for current national outcome indicators for Community Health Services
- Traceability and visibility of Community Health Service expenditure, allowing the implementation of new payment approaches for Community Health Services through the development of defined currencies which are underpinned by consistent data
- Information to improve reference costs for Community Health Services, to ensure that these are reported consistently
- Support for a nationally consistent clinical record for all PATIENTS across England, which can be used to support national research projects
- Information for the future development of Community Health Services.
Data Collection
The Community Services Data Set provides the definitions for data to provide timely, pseudonymised PATIENT-based data and information for purposes other than direct clinical care, e.g. planning, commissioning, public health, clinical audit, performance improvement, research, clinical governance.
Data is expected to be collected from various clinical systems, collated and assembled. This standard is intended to facilitate electronic data recording and reporting but it is not intended to create clinical records for Community Health Services or to enable systems used by Community Health Services to interoperate with other clinical systems.
Submission Information
The Community Services Data Set is submitted via the Strategic Data Collection Service in the Cloud (SDCS Cloud) maintained by NHS England using the Community Services Data Set (CSDS) XML Schema.
Format Information
Data for submission is formatted into an XML file as per the Technology Reference Update Distribution (TRUD) page at: NHS Data Model and Dictionary XML Schemas.
For enquiries regarding the XML Schema, please contact NHS England at enquiries@nhsdigital.nhs.uk.
Community Services Data Set (CSDS) submissions are made using the latest MS Access Community Services Data Set Intermediate Database (IDB) which is available for download from the Technology Reference Update Distribution (TRUD) page at: Community Services Data Set Intermediate Database.
For enquiries regarding technical support for the Intermediate Database (IDB) files, please contact the National Service Desk at: ssd.nationalservicedesk@nhs.net
Further Guidance
Further information and implementation guidance has been produced by NHS England and is available at:
Mandation
The Mandation column indicates the recommendation for the inclusion of data.
- M = Mandatory: this data element is mandatory and the technical process (e.g. submission of the data set, production of output etc) cannot be completed without this data element being present
- R = Required: NHS business processes cannot be delivered without this data element
- O = Optional: the inclusion of this data element is optional as required for local purposes
- P = Pilot: this data element is for piloting use only.
Data Set Constraints
For guidance on the Data Set constraints, see the Community Services Data Set Constraints.
XML Schema
For guidance on downloading the XML Schema, see XML Schema TRUD Download.
Intermediate Database (IDB)
For guidance on downloading the Intermediate Database (IDB), see the NHS England website at: Intermediate Database (IDB) guidance.