With independent hospital sites continuing to support the NHS to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, data about the care must be captured within the NHS.

With the majority of independent hospital sites continuing to support the NHS to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, it is important that data about the care provided to these patients continues to be captured and monitored within the NHS.

PHIN has been working with NHS Digital and NHS England over the last week to support the flow of data from the independent hospital sector into NHS Digital. While some providers will have pre-existing submission routes into NHS Digital, any providers with no Secondary Uses Service (SUS) submission process in place, for example independent sites that have not routinely treated NHS patients, a new process will need to be established.

To facilitate the flow of timely data, PHIN has brokered a process which will allow providers to submit data through an NHS approved XML Middleware provider using PHIN’s Admitted Patient Care (APC) dataset. Although this will require some administrative setup, using the data structures set up by PHIN means that providers should not have to make changes to internal data systems and processes, allowing for the quick flow of data.

There is more information and advice on our portal – which has been developed with NHS Digital, setting out all of the options available to independent hospitals that are supporting the NHS.

We are proud of the work that our colleagues and friends are doing to support the fight against Covid-19, and we are happy to give our support where we can.