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

• 2018/19 National Cost Collection data
• Archived reference costs
• Help and support
• Related content

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.

2018/19 National Cost Collection data

We have produced a short document of highlights and analysis and a guide to using the National Cost Collection data.

The cost data is then presented in four ways:

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

Introduction and data spreadsheets

• National Cost Collection 2018/19: highlights, analysis and introduction to the data – This document shows highlights, analysis and an introduction to the 2018/19 data.
• 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.

2018/19 National Cost Collection data files

• National Cost Collection 2018/19: A guide to using the data – This document gives advice on how to use the data contained in the three zip files below.
• 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 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@improvement.nhs.uk

Related content

• Transforming costing in the NHS
• Using costing information to support better outcomes
• Mandating patient-level costs for acute activity
• Costing guidance documentation
• Previous reference costs collections from the gov.uk website