Table 4.13.2
NUMBER OF PATIENTS WITH DELAYED DISCHARGE
| Year | Quarter
| Number of Patients |
| | |
| 1994-95 | Q4 | 5,775
|
| 1995-96 | Q2 | 6,690
|
| 1995-96 | Q4 | 7,159
|
| 1996-96 | Q1 | 6,559
|
| 1996-97 | Q3 | 6,455
|
| 1996-97 | Q4 | 6,985
|
| 1997-98 | Q1 | 6,132
|
| 1997-98 | Q2 | 6,774
|
| 1997-98 | Q3 | 6,337
|
| | |
Footnote:
1. Figures before 1996-97 were collected by survey.
Figures from 1996-97 are taken from Quarterly monitoring returns.
4.14 MATERNITY HOSPITAL
EPISODE SYSTEM
How many maternities were registered in each NHS region in
1996-97 and how many records in the Maternity Hospital Episode
System had (i) maternity tails and, (ii) maternity tails containing
data?
Could the Department also provide tabulations for 1996-97 in
the same format as those provided to the Committee for 1989-90,
which were published on pages 372-378 of HC29-II and which were
subsequently provided for the years 1990-91 to 1995-96? What action
is being taken to improve quality and completeness of the data?
1. The data requested are contained in tables 4.14.1
to 4.14.7. In each table the Regional Office Area tabulated is
that in which the delivery took place. Please note that due to
delays in the collection of 1996-97 Hospital Episode Statistics
(HES) data, the figures presented in tables 4.14.2 to 4.14.7 should
be treated as provisional and may be subject to change. An explanation
about the difficulties experienced in connection with HES data
is included in the reply to question 4.12, although data in tables
4.14.1 to 4.14.7 has not been uplifted.
2. The Department continues to take action to improve
NHS data quality. The most significant is encouraging Trusts to
follow through the process known as Data Accreditation. This is
a three stage audit of data management and outputs recommended
to trusts in EL(97)47 "Managing Data Quality Improvements
and Data accreditation". HES data quality improvement should
result as a by-product of trusts undertaking Data Accreditation
for contracting flows.
3. Other recent action has included the development of
guidance on the effective management of data, the Data Administration
Good Practice Guidelines. A further tool to test the quality of
data collected by NHS Trusts is the Data Quality Audit Framework
for Coded Clinical Data, produced by the NHS Centre for Coding
and Classification. This publication is widely available within
the NHS. The NHS Centre for Coding and Classification are about
to complete a comprehensive programme of training which includes
a module on auditing clinical data.
4. In terms of HES data in particular, this is now being
extracted from in-patient data passing through the NHS-wide Clearing
Service and will be available to the Department on a more timely
basis. Data is extracted quarterly, 3 months after the end of
the quarter to which it relates and because of this the Department
is able to feed back more quickly to data providers information
about the quality of the data supplied. There have however been
teething troubles, as pointed out in the reply to question 4.12,
but the Department does contact large numbers of Trusts, and many
come direct to the Department, with queries regarding HES. Trusts
are generally very concerned to ensure that HES should reflect
their data accurately. Over the last few years the profile and
significance of HES has been raised and many Trusts are making
significant efforts to improve the overall quality of their data.
5. Regional involvement in improving HES data has been
variable but some have been immensely supportive, holding workshops
and regular meetings and generally making every effort to improve
data quality. For example one region has set up a specific task
force to chase and improve the data. Other regions have been constrained
by lack of staff or resources and in these cases the central part
of the Department has intervened to chase up queries with Trusts.
6. There have been significant improvements in general
data quality over the years as the Department has raised the profile
of HES, but unfortunately because of the problems with the move
to the NHS-wide Clearing Service 1996-97 has been a transitional
year and the data has not been as good as previous years for some
Regions. However, most importantly there has been a change in
the attitude of Trusts who are increasingly keen to help and improve
the quality of HES data.
7. The Department expects Trusts to pay more attention
to the quality of maternity information following the publication
of data covering the first six years of Maternity HES in the Statistical
Bulletin "NHS Maternity Statistics, England: 1989-90 to 1994-95".
The bulletin was published in December 1997 and it has generated
considerable interest. Publication of a second bulletin to include
1995-96 data is planned for late summer 1998.
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