Percentage of total admissions risk assessed for VTE

• In Q2 2024/25 all providers of NHS-funded acute care (NHS trusts, foundation trusts and independent sector providers) reported 3.1 million admissions. Of these, 2.8 million (89%) received a VTE risk assessment on admission (see Table 1).
• In Q2 2024/25, the percentage of inpatient admissions (aged 16 and over at the time of admission) receiving a VTE risk assessment was 89% for NHS acute care providers and 88% for independent sector providers. NHS acute care providers carry out 97% of all VTE risk assessments and independent sector providers carry out 3%.
• The 5 NHS acute providers with the lowest percentage of inpatients being risk assessed were Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust and York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Table 1: Percentage of hospital admissions (aged 16 and over at the time of admission) risk assessed for VTE (Q2 2024/25, England)

• No regions achieved the 95% NHS Standard Contract operational standard in Q2 2024/25 (see Table 2).

Table 2: Percentage of hospital admissions (aged 16 and over at the time of admission) risk assessed for VTE by region (Q2 2024/25, England)

Percentage of providers above and below 95% of admissions receiving a VTE risk assessment

• In Q2 2024/25, 56% of providers (120 of the 216 providers) carried out a VTE risk assessment for 95% or more of their admissions (the NHS Standard Contract operational standard). This breaks down as 48% of NHS acute providers (57 of 119) and 65% of independent sector providers (63 of 97).
• These percentages are lower for NHS acute care providers compared to independent sector providers, with NHS acute care providers carrying out around 97% of all VTE risk assessments.
• Of those providers not achieving 95%, how many are close to achieving the NHS Standard Contract operational standard? To answer this, the number of providers carrying out a VTE risk assessment for 90% to below 95% of their admissions is assessed. Table 3 below shows that in Q2 2024/25 96 providers (44% of the 216 that submitted data) fell below the 95% operational standard; however, 34% of those providers (33 of 96) risk assessed 90% to below 95% of their total admissions for VTE.

Table 3: Providers reporting rates above 95%, between 90% and below 95% and below 90% of admissions receiving a VTE risk assessment (Q2 2024/25, England)

Number of data returns

• The total number of data returns submitted by all providers of NHS-funded acute care in each month of Quarter 2 2024/25 (July to September 2024) was 216.
• The number of NHS acute care providers submitting a data return in each month of Quarter 2 2024/25 (July to September 2024) was 119.
• For independent sector providers, it was 97 in each month of Quarter 2 2024/25 (July to September 2024).

Nil returns

Providers are required to submit information based on a census of patients. Providers that submit data based on a sample or audit of patients are not included in the figures below and are classed as a ‘nil return’. Those that did not have any admissions in a particular month in the quarter are also classed as a ‘nil return’ in that month.

Timings and publication

Providers must collect data and submit it to the Strategic Data Collection Service run by NHS England. The deadline is the last working day of the month following the quarter end.

Data are submitted and published according to the timings below:

Guidance

Guidance on the data collection is given in the 2024/25 NHS Standard Contract and can be found at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-standard-contract-2024-25-technical-guidance/

Quality assurance

Data quality assurance focuses on identifying missing data, data errors (eg the numerator should not be greater than the denominator) and data consistency over time. Any issues identified are discussed with providers and they are given the opportunity to clarify or resubmit their data within the quality assurance period.

Data quality

• not all organisations have submitted for this quarter and work is ongoing to determine whether all relevant providers’ contact details are accurate since the pre-Covid collection. There will be opportunities for corrections later in the year.
• East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust’s (RDE) recording of VTE risk assessment and prescribing of appropriate prophylaxis is documented within the current (paper) drug chart and manual random sample audits are undertaken on these. The trust is not able to accurately report on the compliance of these until an alternative feasible electronic solution is implemented. The Trust is implementing a new EPR with a go live in October 2025 and this will incorporate full electronic clinical noting. The trust will not therefore be able to report this data until the new EPR is live. Providers that submit data based on a sample or audit of patients are not included in the figures and are classed as a ‘nil return’.
• Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust (RQ3) included Gynaecology data for September 2024 (first time captured and submitted).
• Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (RNQ) audited 300 patients using the Tendable Spot Auditing process. The trust plans to provide data for all patients admitted once the process is digital. Only patients 18 and above received a VTE risk assessment at this trust. The trust has derogated against NG89 and does not routinely risk assess or offer thromboprophylaxis in the 16-18 age group. The trust states the risk has been discussed locally in PSAG, regionally at the Thrombosis meeting (East Midlands) and nationally at Haematology Conferences with widespread disagreement with the recommendations. The percentage of admitted patients risk-assessed for VTE was 83%. Providers that submit data based on a sample or audit of patients are not included in the figures and are classed as a ‘nil return’.
• Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust’s (RNS) submission is calculated from a VTE sample audit. The percentage of admitted patients risk-assessed for VTE was 69%. Providers that submit data based on a sample or audit of patients are not included in the figures and are classed as a ‘nil return’.