Dr Data Insight - M2: Datasources

Welcome

M1: Intro to NHS

M2: Data Sources

M3: Analytical Tools & Skills

M4: Healthcare Scenarios

M5: Final Assessment

Module 2: Data Sources

This module introduces learners to the core principles of healthcare data analysis within the NHS context, focusing on real-world application and data literacy. With the NHS generating over 1 million patient interactions daily, understanding how to navigate, interpret, and apply this data is essential. Learners will explore key tools such as the NHS Data Dictionary, which standardises terminology across systems, and platforms like SQL, Power BI, and Python for data querying and visualisation. By the end of the module, students will be able to confidently reference NHS datasets, contribute to data-driven decisions.

Module 2: Data Sources - 2.1

📘 Lesson 2: Understanding NHS Data Sources

🔹 Overview

As a data analyst in the NHS, you'll work with various datasets that capture critical information across patient care, performance, and operations. Understanding these sources — what they contain, how they're structured, and where they come from — is essential for producing accurate, impactful insights.

🔹 Key NHS Datasets

🏥 Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)

One of the most widely used datasets in the NHS
Contains detailed records of inpatient, outpatient, and emergency department (A&E) activity
Used for monitoring service use, outcomes, and long-term trends

Subsets:

HES Inpatient
HES Outpatient
HES A&E

🚑 Secondary Uses Service (SUS)

Near real-time dataset submitted by NHS providers
Used primarily for commissioning and payment purposes
Often acts as the source data that later populates HES

⏳ Referral to Treatment (RTT)

Measures waiting times from GP referral to start of treatment
Key to understanding patient access and service delivery performance
Analysts use RTT data to report on 18-week targets

🧾 A&E Dataset

Captures attendances at accident & emergency departments
Tracks metrics like time to treatment, discharge, and breaches of 4-hour targets
Used for both operational management and national reporting

Module 2: Data Sources - 2.2

📅 Monthly Activity Returns & Operational Datasets

Include planned care, diagnostics, and capacity reports
Often used for trend analysis and forecasting

🔍 Why These Datasets Matter

As an NHS analyst, your job is to turn raw data into actionable insights. These datasets allow you to:

Evaluate hospital performance
Identify service bottlenecks
Support clinical audits
Inform policy decisions and funding

🛠 Tools Commonly Used

SQL – For querying large datasets like SUS and HES
Excel / Power BI – For dashboards, summaries, and visualisation
NHS Digital Portal – For access to published datasets

✅ Summary

Understanding NHS datasets is fundamental for effective healthcare analysis. Each dataset serves a specific purpose, and knowing when and how to use them will help you make sense of complex healthcare systems — and ultimately, help improve patient outcomes.

NHS Datasources Quiz