Data Linkage and Extract Service
Mental Health Minimum Data Set (MHMDS)
Data Form
1. Introduction
The Health and Social Care Information Centre’s Data Linkage and Extract Service provides
historical extracts for organisations that are not authorised to access record level MHMDS
extracts via the Bureau Service Portal, or who have other requirements (e.g. a single extract
for multiple organisations).
Historical extracts are ad-hoc extracts for historical years of data in an annual extract
delivered to a pre-determined specification, i.e. a set list of data fields only.
The product is chargeable and subject to a contractual agreement to ensure the security of
data that could, potentially, be considered disclosive.
This data form must be submitted with an accompanying application form when requesting
MHMDS data and/or the bridging file which enables linkage between MHMDS and Hospital
Episode Statistics (HES) data. By completing this data form applicants indicate that they
understand the specific conditions applying to use of MHMDS data (see section 3).
Applicants who require ‘sensitive’ extracts will be required to submit additional information to
support an application to the Data Access Advisory Group (DAAG).
For further information, please visit the Data Linkage and Extract Service web page at
www.hscic.gov.uk/dles
2. Description of the Products
Historical extracts of MHMDS data provide annual extracts of historical data, with data
available from 2006/07 to 2012/13.
The HSCIC can supply either sensitive or non-sensitive extracts. Non-sensitive extracts DO
NOT include any data about uses of the Mental Health Act. Sensitive extracts include
information about uses of the Mental Health Act including detentions and community
treatment orders.
Other than the options for sensitive or non-sensitive data, the content of all extracts is the
same. Historical extracts for annual files from 2011/12 are supplied as four, linked delimited
files.
Further information about the data specifications for MHMDS versions can be found on the
MHMDS web page.
3. Specific Conditions of Use
Payment will be required within 30 days of being invoiced. Invoices will be issued at the start
of the service.
The HSCIC has the right to refuse to grant you permission to publish information arising from
Mental Health data on the grounds of information confidentiality. Any reports, papers or
statistical tables that are published or released to other organisations must not identify
individuals or enable individuals to be identified.
The HSCIC publishes details of the way in which submissions are processed and provides
regular information about the coverage and data quality of MHMDS and any known data
quality issues that might affect the statistics being released. However, MHMDS is a rich and
varied data set and packages of care vary widely. It is the responsibility of the user to
assess the quality of the data for your intended purpose and the HSCIC cannot be held
responsible for any shortfalls or duplications in the data that affect your intended purpose.
You should give the HSCIC notice of your intention to publish Mental Health data and, where
possible, a copy of the published work. Any published work containing Mental Health data
must acknowledge the HSCIC as the source.
The data must be stored with proper safeguards to prevent unauthorised access. Please
note: this condition is subject to unannounced site inspections by HSCIC staff to make sure
that measures are satisfactory.
You must inform the HSCIC as soon as possible if custodianship of the data should change.
The new data custodian must give assurances in writing that they will continue to follow the
terms of this document. The data custodian must also report any relevant changes to the
HSCIC. These changes might be changes in the personnel who have access to the Mental
Health data, or to the systems on which the data is held.
4. Product(s) Requested
By submitting this data form with an application form you are requesting either cumulative
data from the start of the year (April) to the current month with update files to be provided on
a monthly basis until and including the final month of the year (March) or an ad-hoc
historical/year to date extract delivered once to a standard specification.
4.1 Required Data
Please indicate below whether sensitive or non-sensitive data is required. For a definition
see section 2. Description of the Service (above)
I require non-sensitive psuedonymised
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extracts
I require sensitive psuedonymised extracts*
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*If sensitive data items are required, you must ensure that in section 2.1 Purpose,
Aims and Intended Reuse of the Application Form you explain the reasons why
sensitive data items are required and describe how each item is to be used.
4.2 Historical Extract Data Years
The MHMDS is a nationally approved data set which has gone through a number of changes
since it was introduced in 2003/04. There were significant changes between 2010/11
(version 3.5) and 2011/12 (version 4) including changes to the way the data is processed
and the overall format of the extracts.
A full history of changes to the Data Specification can be found from this page:
www.hscic.gov.uk/mhmds/spec. These changes mean that like-for-like time series analysis
across these years is technically difficult and may be unreliable.
Historical Extracts are available by year in an annual extract.
Please indicate any required:
2006/07
2008/09
2010/11
2012/13
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2007/08
2009/10
2011/12
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4.3 Linked HES-MHMDS Data
A bridging file is now available that links the pseudonymised MHMDS person ID to the
pseudonymised HESID. Further information about the linkage bridging file is available at
www.hscic.gov.uk/hesmhmds
The bridging file is updated monthly using the most recent HES and MHMDS data but covers
the full history of submissions. For MHMDS the data available for linkage goes back to
2006/07. The data available for HES goes back to 1997/98. Matches between the data sets
may occur at any time, for example linking a person seen in MHMDS in 2006/07 to a person
seen in HES in 2013/14. For this reason the matched records identified in the bridging file
will be subject to change as the underlying HES and MHMDS indexes are updated.
Please indicate below if you require this file.
I require the HES-MHMDS bridging file
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If you require the associated HES data, you should complete the relevant HES data forms
and submit them along with your application form and this data form. Further guidance and
all of our application forms can be found at www.hscic.gov.uk/dlesapplications
If you already possess the associated data and wish to use the bridging file to link MHMDS
data to your existing data set, you must provide the extract specification reference number
(ET###/TDLS###/DLS####) for the original extract (see the relevant Data Reuse
Agreement/Data Sharing Contract). This will enable us to pseudonymise the bridging file
using the same key as your previous HES extract.
I require this to be pseudonymised using the same key as a previous
extract. The extract specification reference number for the original
extract is:
5. For Internal Use Only
5.1 Reference Number
5.2 Date Received
If you experience any difficulties completing this form or would like to speak to us about
making an application, please contact the HSCIC contact centre on tel: 0845 300 6016 or
email: enquiries@hscic.gov.uk