Assuring Transformation is a data collection
Assuring Transformation is a data collection about people with a learning disability or autistic people who are in a mental health hospital and collects data about the care they are getting in hospital.
The Assuring Transformation information is collected by NHS England and is collected from NHS commissioners.
Commissioners hold, manage, and maintain Assuring Transformation. Commissioners are people who pay for services which includes hospital care.
Hospitals share information about your care with commissioners to be included in Assuring Transformation.
Why we collect Assuring Transformation information
Assuring Transformation enables NHS England to make sure that:
- you are receiving the right care
- your care plan is regularly reviewed to make sure that the hospital continues to meet your needs
- that your care is tracked if you move from one hospital to
What information is included in Assuring Transformation?
The Assuring Transformation data collection includes information on:
- the number of people with a learning disability and autistic people getting care in a hospital and the type of hospital unit they are in
- how long they have been in hospital
- why they were sent into hospital
- their care during hospital stay
- how many people have moved from hospital to the community
- whether people have had their care plan checked, have a care co- ordinator and have regular reviews
- whether people have access to independent advocacy
- whether people are visited regularly by their commissioner
- the age, gender and ethnicity of people
A link to all the information that is collected through Assuring Transformation is on the NHS Digital website. See the AT Summary Guidance PDF document.
Every month, NHS England publishes a monthly Assuring Transformation report.
The report lets the public check whether the NHS is doing a good job of looking after people with a learning disability and autistic people, who are in mental health hospital. The published reports don’t have any personal information, like names, dates of birth or NHS numbers. NHS England makes sure patients’ personal information is looked after safely and that it’s not possible to identify individuals from any of the information that is published.
NHS England uses the Assuring Transformation data to check that people with a learning disability and autistic people are getting the right care in the right place. We also use the information to make sure people are not in mental health hospital if they would be better supported in the community.
It is important that Assuring Transformation has information about all people with a learning disability and autistic people getting care in a mental health hospital. This way, we can be sure that all people are getting the right care in the right place.
The law about collecting information
People have the right to request that their confidential information is not used beyond their own care and treatment and to have their objections considered. Personal and confidential information may be used, only where it is in the public interest.
If you want to object to your data being used
If you want to ‘object’ to information about your care in hospital being included in the Assuring Transformation data collection you need to tell your commissioner (the person who pays for your care).
The commissioner should explain to you that:
- the data collection process has been developed with the views of people with a learning disability and autistic people, families, advocacy groups and carers
- it is to help to improve care and to prevent when people get poor care
- the impact of your information being excluded – it will not be possible to track you across providers and see how good your care is
The commissioner will then need to think about the reason for any objection and get a guarantee that:
- you have the mental capacity to make an objection
- there is no evidence to suggest that you have made the decision to object as a result of wrongful influence by the provider or by another person
- there will be no harm or distress caused you as a direct result of you not being included in the data.
The commissioner will need to bring together a panel to decide whether it is right to continue processing the data and the panel should include:
- a learning and disability and autism professional
- a case-manager from your local area
- a relevant clinician
- the Caldicott Guardian or a nominated deputy (such as the medical director).
The panel will consider the reasons set out above.
If the panel is confident that:
- you have the capacity to make the decision
- have not been influenced to object
- understand the impact of not being included in the data
Then it should allow the objection unless there is a further reason for over- riding it, which should be explained to you and set out in writing.
Your data can still to be used until the commissioner makes a decision.
This makes sure that no harm comes to you, that your care is monitored and that the data continues to cover everyone in in-patient settings.
You must be told of the decision.
If you would like support to say ‘no’ to sharing your information you can talk to a family member, an advocate or a self-advocacy group.
This is who you need to tell if you do not want NHS England to collect information about you or someone you care for.
Name of commissioner:
Phone number:
Address:
Email:
The commissioner will get in touch with you, your carer or your family member to talk about this and then a panel will decide if your data should still be shared with NHS England.
Publication reference: PRN00579ii