Introduction
The Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS) is a PATIENT level, output based secondary uses data set which aims to deliver robust, comprehensive, nationally consistent and comparable person-based information for PATIENTS who are in contact with Mental Health Services.
The Mental Health Services Data Set covers Mental Health Services located in England, or located outside England but treating PATIENTS commissioned by an English Integrated Care Board, NHS England specialised commissioner or an NHS-led Provider Collaborative.
As a secondary uses data set, the Mental Health Services Data Set re-uses clinical and operational data for purposes other than direct PATIENT care, and defines the data items, definitions and associated value sets to be extracted or derived from local information systems.
All ACTIVITY relating to PATIENTS who receive assessments and treatment from Mental Health Services is within the scope of the Mental Health Services Data Set, where the PATIENT has, or are thought to have:
- A mental health condition and/or
- A need for support with their mental wellbeing and/or
- A Learning Disability and/or
- Autism or any other neurodevelopmental condition.
The scope of the Mental Health Services Data Set requires PATIENT record level data submission from SERVICES as follows:
- For each PATIENT attending a SERVICE located outside England, but commissioned by an English Integrated Care Board or NHS England specialised commissioner, the data submission is optional but may be a requirement of the commissioning arrangements.
The Mental Health Services Data Set is used across the range of Health Care Providers and ORGANISATIONS that provide Mental Health Services (irrespective of funding arrangements) including:
- Independent Sector Healthcare Providers offering a service model that includes NHS funded and non-NHS funded PATIENTS
- Voluntary sector Health Care Providers
- Any qualified provider offering Mental Health Services
- Community SERVICES offering secondary care to children.
Submission information
The Mental Health Services Data Set is submitted centrally via the Strategic Data Collection Service in the Cloud (SDCS Cloud) maintained by NHS England.
A multiple submission window model for the Mental Health Services Data Set has been available to submitters since 1 April 2020. This allows submitters to resubmit data for each full financial year, rather than by the previous primary and refresh methods of submissions.
Guidance on the submission model can be found on the NHS England website at:
Further guidance
Further information regarding the structure and submission of the Mental Health Services Data Set can be found on the NHS England website at: Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS).
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.
Note: items in the Mandation column which are shown with notation P have not been approved by the Data Alliance Partnership Board and are included to facilitate piloting and testing of future data requirements, prior to formal inclusion in later versions of the Mental Health Services Data Set. These items have been included in the data set layout in order to provide advance notice to data providers and system suppliers of the intention to require these items at a later date. Unless ORGANISATIONS are engaged in piloting activities relating to these items, they should NOT submit any data item marked P.
Data Set Constraints
For guidance on the Data Set constraints, see the Mental Health Services Data Set Constraints.