Patient postcode linked measures are available for patients in English practices that have consented to participate in the linkage scheme. Data are linked via Lower Super Output Area (LSOA), Super Output Area (SOA) in Northern Ireland and datazone (DZ) in Scotland. The latest available patient postcode of residence is mapped to an LSOA boundary. The LSOA of residence then allows linkage to the following LSOA-level deprivation measures: 2004 English Index of Multiple Deprivation; 2007 English Index of Multiple Deprivation; 2010 English Index of Multiple Deprivation; 2015 English Index of Multiple Deprivation (composite and individual domains); Townsend Deprivation Index: calculated using unadjusted 2001 census data; Carstairs Index using 2011 census data.

Data are provided as quintiles, deciles or twentiles of the deprivation score to prevent disclosure of patient location. In order to prevent the possibility of deductive disclosure of a patients’ area of residence, researchers will only be provided with one of the above linked datasets for any one study.