A new report calls for more clinicians to improve the quality and value of their hospital data. The report urges consultants to take responsibility for their clinical data, both in the way that notes are recorded and the accuracy with which patient data is coded.

Safe and efficient patient care relies on high quality data but a serious lack of clinical engagement over the accuracy of hospital data has been a major concern among Royal Medical Colleges and Directors of Trusts.

The report 'Hospital Episode Statistics (HES): Improving the quality and value of hospital data' produced by The NHS Information Centre, endorsed by the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges, highlights how improvements to the collection and use of hospital data by clinicians can be made to secure good quality outcomes and inform patient choice.

The report stresses the need for more discussion within Trusts and colleges over the importance of:

• Clinician access to raw data
• Recording clinical terms
• Outpatient coding
• Clinicians working in teams
• Diagnoses present on admission
• Enhanced data linkage including primary care

Sir Bruce Keogh, medical director of the NHS said:

"For too long clinicians have thought NHS data is someone else's business. I am quite clear that quality of data on clinical services in the NHS should rest squarely with those who deliver the service and responsibility for accuracy should lie with medical directors and clinical service leads. After all, as a professional if you can't describe what you're doing and define how well you're doing it, you have no right to be doing it at all.

“I expect all NHS organisations to have assurance processes in place to ensure that the data in their systems reflects the reality of clinical activity."

The report has been published on the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges' website, and can also be downloaded via the Related Information link above.

Clinicians are encouraged to respond to the content of this report via an online survey.

Notes to editors:

The NHS Information Centre is England's authoritative, independent source of health and social care information. It works with a wide range of health and social care providers nationwide to provide the facts and figures that help the NHS and social services run effectively. Its role is to collect data, analyse it and convert it into useful information which helps providers improve their services and supports academics, researchers, regulators and policymakers in their work. The NHS Information Centre also produces a wide range of statistical publications each year across a number of areas including: primary care, health and lifestyles, screening, hospital care, population and geography, social care and workforce and pay statistics.

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges promotes, facilitate and where appropriate co-ordinate the work of Medical Royal Colleges and their Faculties for the benefit of patients and healthcare. The Academy comprises the Presidents of the Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties who meet regularly to agree direction. Charity number: 1056565