The Mental Health Services Data Set is a patient level, output based, secondary uses data set which aims to deliver robust, comprehensive, nationally consistent and comparable person-based information for children, young people and adults who are in contact with mental health services located in England or located outside England but treating patients commissioned by an English CCG or NHS England specialised commissioner. As a secondary uses data set it re-uses clinical and operational data for purposes other than direct patient care, for example: commissioning, service improvement and service design. It defines the data items, definitions and associated value sets extracted or derived from local Electronic Patient Record systems.

In Scope: All activity relating to people who receive specialist secondary mental health care services and have, or are thought to have, a mental illness; or who receive specialist secondary learning disabilities or autism spectrum disorder services and have, or are thought to have, a learning disability or autism spectrum disorder is within scope of the MHSDS. The scope of the data set requires record level data submission for each person attending a service located in England: • if the person is wholly funded by the NHS data submission for that person is mandatory • if the person is partially funded by the NHS data submission for that person is mandatory • if the person is wholly funded by any means that is not NHS data submission is optional

For each person attending a service located outside England, but commissioned by an English CCG or NHS England specialised commissioner: • data submission is optional.

Included Organisation Types: Service providers and organisations that provide specialist secondary mental health and/or learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder services including: • NHS Mental Health Trusts • NHS Learning Disabilities Trusts • NHS Acute Trusts • NHS Care Trusts • Independent sector healthcare providers offering a service model that includes NHS funded patients • Any qualified provider offering specialist secondary mental health, learning disabilities or autism spectrum disorder services • Community services offering secondary care to children

Out of Scope: The following areas are currently out of scope and should not be included: • Any patient receiving treatment through an in-scope service but is not thought to have a mental illness, learning disability or autism spectrum disorder e.g. o Smoking cessation services o Addictions and substance misuse services o Some alternative therapy services o Some counselling services. • Mental health, learning disabilities, and autism spectrum disorder services provided only at a primary care level (such as within general practices or adult IAPT).

Additional information inc. technical specifications and user guidance: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-collections-and-data-sets/data-sets/mental-health-services-data-set