The National Cost Collection publication comprises aggregated costs (the average unit cost of providing defined services to NHS patients in England) and patient-level costs/PLICS (a cost based on the specific interactions a patient has, and the events related to their healthcare activity).

Contents

• 2020/21 National Cost Collection data
• Archived reference costs
• Help and support

NHS providers submit costs annually. These costs are used to inform a number of work streams including the PLICS portal, the Model Hospital, the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme and national tariff prices. They are a key source of information about the cost of NHS services.

2020/21 National Cost Collection data

Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the production of cost data we have not produced a report for this year’s National Cost Collection with the usual analysis and guidance. We have though published the data itself in its entirety, presented, as in previous years, in the following four ways:

• the national schedules of NHS costs
• the National Cost Collection Index (NCCI)
• the reconciliation statement
• a database of source data

Data spreadsheets

• National schedule of NHS costs – The main schedule, showing data for the whole range of services provided by provider, including admitted patient care on a finished consultant episode (FCE) basis.
• The National Cost Collection index (NCCI) – The National Cost Collection index (NCCI) is a measure of the relative cost difference between NHS providers.
• The National Cost Collection index by department and service code – A more granular view of the National Cost Collection index by department and service code.
• Reconciliation Statement – Shows the adjustments made to get from provider audited financial accounts to their total reference costs.

2020/21 National Cost Collection data files

• Organisation level source data part 1 – Unadjusted data as submitted by NHS providers in England.
• Organisation level source data part 2 – Market forces factor (MFF) adjusted data.
• Organisation level source data part 3 – Remaining organisational source level data and reference cost survey responses.

Archived reference costs

Please see the pages 2019/20 National Cost Collection Data Publication and  2018/19 National Cost Collection Data Publication for the data from the past two years, and the page Archived Reference Costs to view the reference costs for the financial years 2017/18 and 2016/17, along with a link to earlier cost collections on the Department of Health website.

Help and support

If you have any queries on this project or costing in general please email to costing@england.nhs.uk