This page documents all NHS Data Dictionary (NHS DD) standardized lists that are available in CheckTick. These datasets are scraped from the official NHS Data Dictionary website and kept up-to-date through automated synchronization.

About NHS DD Datasets

The NHS Data Dictionary provides standardized definitions, codes, and value sets used across the NHS. CheckTick imports selected datasets to ensure consistency with national healthcare standards.

Data Quality & Freshness

• Automated Updates: Datasets are automatically scraped and synchronized on a regular schedule
• Source Verification: Each dataset includes a direct link to its NHS DD source page
• Version Tracking: Last updated dates are tracked for transparency
• Manual Review: New datasets are reviewed by maintainers before addition

How to Request a New NHS DD Dataset

If you need an NHS DD list that isn't currently available:

1. Click the "Request NHS DD List" button on the Datasets page
2. Fill out the GitHub issue template with:
3. Dataset name and NHS DD URL
4. Your use case and expected frequency of use
5. Suggested tags for categorization
6. Maintainers will review and add it if it's scrapable and beneficial to the community

Available NHS DD Datasets

Dataset Categories

Datasets are tagged with one or more categories to aid discovery:

• administrative: Administrative and operational data
• clinic: Clinical consultation and care delivery
• demographic: Patient demographic information
• procedural: Procedures and interventions
• surgical: Surgical procedures
• medical: Medical treatments and conditions
• neonatal: Neonatal care
• paediatric: Paediatric care
• mental health: Mental health services
• maternity: Maternity and obstetric care

Technical Details

Sync Process

The NHS DD sync command (sync_nhs_dd_datasets):

1. Reads dataset definitions from docs/nhs-data-dictionary-datasets.md
2. Creates or updates dataset records in the database
3. For each dataset:
4. Fetches the HTML from the NHS DD URL
5. Parses tables containing codes and descriptions
6. Extracts key-value pairs
7. Updates the dataset options in the database
8. Records the last scraped timestamp
9. Logs any errors or changes

Scheduling

The sync runs on a scheduled basis (configured in the deployment) to keep datasets up-to-date with NHS DD changes.

Manual Sync

Administrators can manually trigger a sync:

python manage.py sync_nhs_dd_datasets
python manage.py sync_nhs_dd_datasets --dataset accommodation_status_code  # Single dataset
python manage.py sync_nhs_dd_datasets --force  # Force re-sync all

Data Governance

Source Attribution

All NHS DD datasets clearly attribute their source with: - Link to official NHS DD page - "NHS DD" badge in the dataset detail view - Description noting "NHS Data Dictionary" origin

Data Accuracy

While we strive for accuracy: - Primary Source: Always refer to the official NHS DD website for authoritative data - Automated Sync: Regular updates minimize drift from source - User Verification: Users can click through to source URLs to verify data - Issue Reporting: Report discrepancies via GitHub issues

Usage in Surveys

NHS DD datasets can be used like any other dataset in CheckTick: - Select in question configuration - Clone to create custom variants - Reference in survey logic

Support

For questions or issues with NHS DD datasets:

1. Check the official NHS DD website
2. Search existing GitHub issues
3. Create a new issue using the appropriate template
4. Contact the development team

See Also

• Datasets Overview
• Prefilled Datasets Setup
• Data Governance