Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Data Set
Review Of Central Returns (ROCR) Licence: ROCR/OR/2155/001MAND
Frequency: Monthly
We collect national data on Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), to encourage improved access to talking therapies for people with common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety disorders.
Started in April 2012, this data set is submitted by providers of NHS-funded care via Connecting for Health's Bureau Service Portal. Once data flows from this data set are fully established the current IAPT key performance indicators collection will cease, although there is no set date for this yet.
What data do we collect on Improving Access to Psychological Therapies?
A variety of health and well-being data including:
- patient health questionnaire
- generalised anxiety disorder assessment questionnaire
- phobia screening questions
- disorder specific measures
- work and social adjustment scale
- employment questions
Who should submit this information?
Providers of NHS-funded mental health services.
How do I submit the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies data set?
You should submit the IAPT data set via the mental health bureau service on the Open Exeter portal. This site is provided by NHS Connecting for Health and only accessible via an N3 connection to the NHS network.
How do I access the system?
Step one: check that your organisation's Caldicott Guardian - a senior person responsible for protecting patient information - is on the Open Exeter register. If they are not, the Caldicott Guardian will need to register first.
Step two: complete a data user certificate to get access to the Bureau Service Portal, and send it to the Open Exeter helpdesk at exeter.helpdesk@nhs.net. Providers and commissioners should complete the same form.
For help with completing the form, contact the Open Exeter Helpdesk on exeter.helpdesk@nhs.net or 01392 251289.
Step three: To get an empty copy of the actual IAPT database, you should contact us at enquiries@hscic.gov.uk or 0845 300 6016.
This is a Microsoft Access database which contains four data tables which you should fill in and submit via the mental health bureau service.
Please let us know if you are a mental health payment by results pilot site so we can send you the correct version of the database, as pilot sites need to submit a few extra data items.
What are the submission dates?
Two types of submission are possible:
- Primary (P): the first submission of data for the current collection period, which is mandatory.
- Refresh (R): a resubmission of the previous period data, which is recommended. A refresh allows you to update data that has already been submitted, to improve data quality or include late data not available at the time of the primary submission.
The submission window usually opens on a Monday and closes on a Friday. Where window opening and closing days fall on a public/bank holiday, the next working day has been used. When the window is closed no further submissions can be made, but you can still view the results of earlier submissions.
Whilst the window is closed we carry out data processing. When this is complete, all users registered to use the bureau service portal will be informed by email. Processed data will be available for download by the Monday following the closure of the submission window.
2013
P = Primary submission
R = Refresh submission
Period | Submission window opens | Submission window closes | Submission window closed to allow data processing week commencing | Data processing completed. Processed data available |
Jan (P), Dec (R) | 04/02/2013 | 22/02/2013 | 25/02/2013 | 04/03/2013 |
Feb (P), Jan (R) | 04/03/2013 | 22/03/2013 | 25/03/2013 | 01/04/2013 |
Mar (P), Feb (R) | 01/04/2013 | 26/04/2013 | 29/04/2013 | 06/05/2013 |
2013/14
P = Primary submission
R = Refresh submission
Period | Submission window opens | Submission window closes | Submission window closed to allow data processing week commencing | Data processing completed. Processed data available |
Apr (P), Mar(R) | 07/05/2013 | 24/05/2013 | 26/05/2013 | 03/06/2013 |
May (P), Apr (R) | 03/06/2013 | 21/06/2013 | 24/06/2013 | 01/07/2013 |
Jun (P), May (R) | 01/07/2013 | 26/07/2013 | 29/07/2013 | 05/08/2013 |
Jul (P), Jun (R) | 05/08/2013 | 23/08/2013 | 25/08/2013 | 02/09/2013 |
Aug (P), Jul (R) | 02/09/2013 | 27/09/2013 | 30/09/2013 | 07/10/2013 |
Sep (P), Aug (R) | 07/10/2013 | 25/10/2013 | 28/10/2013 | 04/11/2013 |
Oct (P), Sep (R) | 04/11/2013 | 22/11/2013 | 25/11/2013 | 02/12/2013 |
Nov (P), Oct (R) | 02/12/2013 | 27/12/2013 | 30/12/2013 | 06/01/2014 |
Dec (P), Nov (R) | 06/01/2014 | 24/01/2014 | 27/01/2014 | 03/02/2014 |
Jan (P), Dec (R) | 03/02/2014 | 21/02/2014 | 24/02/2014 | 03/03/2014 |
Feb (P), Jan (R) | 03/03/2014 | 21/03/2014 | 24/03/2014 | 31/03/2014 |
Mar (P), Feb (R) | 31/03/2014 | 25/04/2014 | 28/04/2014 | 06/05/2014 |
May 2012 Bureau Service Portal Update document [203kb]
How do I access Improving Access to Psychological Therapies data?
Providers and commissioner of adult specialist mental health services can retrieve processed IAPT extracts covering their own services by logging into the mental health bureau service portal using their Open Exeter account.
When will the data be published?
Routine Monthly Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Data Quality Reports and Routine Quarterly Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Summary Statistics Reports can be found at Routine IAPT Reporting.
Data Quality report rules are detailed in the following document:
Useful documents:
Draft summary of validations [66kb]
Data extract specification [167kb]
IAPT draft data inclusion rules [83kb]
IAPT implementation checklist [52kb]
IAPT frequently asked questions [415kb]
Presentation: a practical guide to the IAPT data set [5Mb]
Guidance for organisations taking part in the Payment by Results pilot [305kb]
How do we use and protect patient identifiable data?
At the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), we take the importance of information governance very seriously. We have controls and procedures in place to make sure we demonstrate the highest standard of stewardship and governance of the information we handle, including the IAPT data set.
We conform to the standards of the National Information Governance Board, the national body that protects the interests of patients in how their data are used, shared and stored in the NHS and adult social care. Following a rigorous assurance process, they have given the IAPT programme permission to process patient identifiable data.
Patient identifiable data is collected extensively across all areas of health for both clinical and management purposes. The National Information Governance Board's care record guarantee (external) sets out the "commitment that NHS organisations and those providing care on behalf of the NHS will use records in ways that respect patient rights and promote your health and well-being." This principle is applied across all national data collections including all of our mental health information.
We make sure individual patients cannot be identified by creating a pseudonymised patient identifier which is used in national aggregate reporting.
We make sure all data is kept secure whilst it is being submitted. The Bureau Service Web Portal which is used to submit the data has secure 'https' technology to encrypt data transmitted across the N3 network. The portal has successfully passed extensive testing designed to identify any security issues.
The data we collect will help us to understand how services operate, the treatments they provide and the outcomes they achieve - and helps improve the way they are delivered.