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DCB1513: Maternity Services Data Set

The Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS) is the national information standard for data relating to NHS-funded maternity services

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About this information standard

The Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS) sets out requirements for the collection and submission of operational and clinical data relating to each stage of the maternity care pathway. The data will be used, locally and nationally, to support commissioning, payment, planning, outcomes monitoring and addressing health inequalities. Version 2.0 of the standard is a significant change and brings the MSDS into line with the structures of other national data sets managed by NHS Digital.

This information standard is published under section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012. An Information Standards Notice (see below) provides an overview of scope and implementation timescales, and the other documents provide further detail for those who have to implement the information standard.

Please note:

Effective from 1 May 2023, for submission of April 2023 data the MSDS will be moving to a provisional and final processing submission model.

From then submissions will be processed at two points during the existing two-month reporting window. Submissions made in the first month of the reporting window will be processed as the provisional submission of the respective reporting period and will produce provisional statistics.

At the end of the second month, final processing will be run on submissions for final national analysis and reporting purposes.

As there is no change to the overall submission length or to the method of submission, this does not change the content of the ISN or supporting documentation. Please visit the MSDS submission guidance pages for more information.  

Last edited: 27 April 2023 3:34 pm