The Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS) is a PATIENT level, output based, secondary uses data set which delivers robust, comprehensive, nationally consistent and comparable person-based information for children, young people and adults (including elderly people) who are in contact with specialist secondary Mental Health Services.
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 specialist secondary Mental Health Services and have, or are thought to have:
- A mental illness
- Any combination of mental health, Learning Disability or Autistic Spectrum Disorder needs
are within scope of the Mental Health Services Data Set.
The scope of the Mental Health Services Data Set requires PATIENT record level data submission from SERVICES as follows:
For each PATIENT:
- If the care is wholly funded by the NHS: the data submission for that PATIENT is mandatory
- If the care is partially funded by the NHS: the data submission for that PATIENT is mandatory
- If the care is wholly funded by any means that is not NHS: the data submission for that PATIENT is optional.
Children and adolescents (including those with a Learning Disability and/or Autistic Spectrum Disorder) under the age of 18 should also be included where they are in receipt of care from a specialist secondary mental health, Learning Disabilities or Autistic Spectrum Disorder SERVICE or an Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) Service.
Children and young people in receipt of psychological therapies covered under the Children and Young People's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Programme (CYP IAPT) are also included within the scope of this standard. However, ACTIVITY covered in the Adult Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Programme (IAPT) is out of scope; this is submitted under the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Data Set.
The Mental Health Services Data Set is used across the range of Health Care Providers and Organisations that provide specialist secondary mental health and/or Learning Disabilities and/or Autistic Spectrum Disorder SERVICES (irrespective of funding arrangements) including:
- NHS Mental Health Trusts
- NHS Learning Disabilities Trusts
- NHS Acute Trusts
- NHS Care Trusts
- Independent Sector Healthcare Providers offering a service model that includes NHS funded and non-NHS funded PATIENTS
- Any qualified provider offering specialist secondary mental health, Learning Disability or Autistic Spectrum Disorder SERVICES.
Further information regarding the structure and submission of the Mental Health Services Data Set can be found on the NHS Digital website at: Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS).