Presentation of the data
As part of our commitment to open data, the NHSBSA publishes the underlying data of the Innovation Scorecard publication in a series of comma-separated variable (csv) files.
The data has been released in csv files as these consist of tabulated data expressed simply in plain text, which are ideal for computer applications due to the lack of formatting. The csv format is widely recognised by computer applications and software packages, and importing csv files can be automated.
File structure
We have released 10 csv files, that are grouped into 2 files in a ZIP file format. A ZIP file contains a number of smaller files and folder which have been compressed. You will need to unzip the ZIP file to extract the smaller files.
Output-Groupings.zip contains 5 files, one each for national, regional, integrated care board (ICB), sub-ICB location, and trust level data for medicine utilisation for all medicines included in a grouping.
Output-Utilisation.zip contains 5 files, one each for national, regional, ICB, sub-ICB location, and trust level data for medicine utilisation for all medicines not included in a grouping.
Data structure
All files have a similar structure.
Each file for medicines in a grouping, except for sub-ICB location level, includes additional variables populated only for data rows for the direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) secondary grouping and its medicines.
File variables
| Variable number | Variable name | Description | Example values |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | year | financial year | 2022_23 |
| 2 | quarter | financial quarter | 1 = 1 April to 30 June |
| 2 = 1 July to 30 September | |||
| 3 = 1 October to 31 December | |||
| 4 = 1 January to 31 March | |||
| 3 | year_quarter | financial year and quarter | 2022/23 Q1 = 1 April 2022 to 30 June 2022 |
| 4 | data_type | geography level and type of data | national grouping |
| trust utilisation | |||
| 5 | data_source | source of the data | primary care |
| secondary care | |||
| 6 | treatment_type | type of treatment | medicine |
| MedTech = Medical Technology | |||
| 7 | treatment_name | the name of the treatment or the treatment group | olaparib |
| 8 | provider_code | the Organisation Data Service (ODS) code for the reported NHS geography or trust | E = England |
| 3 or 5 character ODS code | |||
| 9 | provider_name | the name of the reported NHS geography or trust | England |
| 10 | numerator | the volume used or the amount purchased | 28 |
| 11 | numerator_unit | the unit of the numerator | Assumed Daily Dose (ADD) |
| Defined Daily Dose (DDD) | |||
| tablets | |||
| mgs | |||
| units | |||
| vials | |||
| 12 | high_level_condition | the high level condition that the medicine is used to treat, or for some groupings the included group of medicines | allergies |
| arthritis | |||
| chronic kidney disease | |||
| cystic fibrosis | |||
| hepatitis C | |||
| SGLT-2 inhibitors | |||
| 13 | denominator | the figure that is used to standardise the numerator | 248,965 |
| 14 | denominator_unit | the unit of the denominator | population |
| finished consultant episode (FCE) days of hospital care | |||
| 15 | value | the standardised figure for use the value equals the numerator multiplied by 100,000 and divided by the denominator value = numerator *100,000/ denominator | 135 |
| 16 | value_unit | the unit of the standardised figure for use | tablets per 100,000 population |
| DDD per 100,000 population | |||
| vials per 100,000 population | |||
| mgs per 100,000 FCE days hospital care | |||
| E followed by 8 digits | |||
| 17/23 | provider_ons_code | the Office for National Statistics (ONS) statistical health geography code for the reported organisation |
In the files for medicines not included in a grouping, and for medicines included in a grouping at sub ICB location level, provider_ons_code is the 17th variable. In the other files for medicines included in a grouping, provider_ons_code is the 23rd variable, after the additional variables listed below.
There may be empty values when:
- in the files for medicines included in a grouping, the variables denominator, denominator_unit, value and value_unit are empty for data rows for the DOAC Secondary grouping and its medicines
- in the trust level files, the variable provider_ons_code is empty
Additional variables for national, regional, ICB and trust grouping files
Some variables in the medicine grouping files are only populated for the data rows for the DOAC secondary grouping and its medicines.
| Variable number | Variable name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | expected_days_of_treatment | Days of treatment with DOACs calculated from the number of hip and knee replacements recorded in HES data and the average days of treatment as specified in the NICE guidance |
| 18 | expected_upper_range | Upper range of expected days of treatment with DOACs calculated from the number of hip and knee replacements recorded in HES data and the maximum days of treatment as specified in the NICE guidance |
| 19 | expected_lower_range | Lower range of expected days of treatment with DOACs calculated from the number of hip and knee replacements recorded in HES data and the minimum days of treatment as specified in the NICE guidance |
| 20 | ratio_observed:expected | Ratio of observed ADDs to calculated expected days of treatment |
| 21 | upper_ratio_observed:expected | Ratio of observed ADDs to calculated upper range expected days of treatment |
| 22 | lower_ratio_observed:expected | Ratio of observed ADDs to calculated lower range expected days of treatment |