Initially this data is collected during a patient's time at hospital as part of the Commissioning Data Set (CDS). This is submitted to NHS Digital for processing and is returned to healthcare providers as the Secondary Uses Service (SUS) data set and includes information relating to payment for activity undertaken. It allows hospitals to be paid for the care they deliver. This same data can also be processed and used for non-clinical purposes, such as research and planning health services. Because these uses are not to do with direct patient care, they are called 'secondary uses'. This is the SUS data set. SUS data covers all NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in England, including:

1. private patients treated in NHS hospitals
2. patients resident outside of England
3. care delivered by treatment centres (including those in the independent sector) funded by the NHS

Each SUS record contains a wide range of information about an individual patient admitted to an NHS hospital, including:

1. clinical information about diagnoses and operations
2. patient information, such as age group, gender and ethnicity
3. administrative information, such as dates and methods of admission and discharge
4. geographical information such as where patients are treated and the area where they live

NHS Digital apply a strict statistical disclosure control in accordance with the NHS Digital protocol, to all published SUS data. This suppresses small numbers to stop people identifying themselves and others, to ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained.

Who SUS is for SUS provides data for the purpose of healthcare analysis to the NHS, government and others including:

The Secondary Users Service (SUS) database is made up of many data items relating to A&E care delivered by NHS hospitals in England. Many of these items form part of the national Commissioning Data Set (CDS), and are generated by the patient administration systems within each hospital.

1. national bodies and regulators, such as the Department of Health, NHS England, Public Health England, NHS Improvement and the CQC
2. local Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs)
3. provider organisations
4. government departments
5. researchers and commercial healthcare bodies
6. National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE)
7. patients, service users and carers
8. the media

Uses of the statistics The statistics are known to be used for:

1. national policy making
2. benchmarking performance against other hospital providers or CCGs
3. academic research
4. analysing service usage and planning change
5. providing advice to ministers and answering a wide range of parliamentary questions
6. national and local press articles
7. international comparison

More information can be found at https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-tools-and-services/data-services/hospital-episode-statistics https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-accident--emergency-activity"