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Data Uses Registers

The Data Uses Registers are published every month and provide information on our external Data Sharing Agreements. They are supplemented by the Internal Data Flow Record that provides information on data sharing internal to the organisation.

Page contents

We have developed reports, now published in beta to allow easy navigation. There are two reports that can be used to interrogate each Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) for further details, such as:

  • the start and end date of the DSA
  • the organisation name(s) of the data controller(s)
  • whether the data controller(s) are sole or joint controllers
  • the purpose for which the data was provided
  • information on the data sets approved
  • the legal basis under which data is released
  • if they have permissions to onwardly (sub-license) share the data
  • if the application is for a commercial purpose
  • whether patient opt-outs* were applied to the data set before release
  • details of physical files that were released and when.

As this is the first version of the Power BI Data Uses Register, we welcome any feedback. Feedback can be sent to [email protected], with the subject: Data Uses Register Feedback.

In addition to the Power BI reports, we publish an .xlsx version of the Data Uses Register to meet accessibility standards.

The Power BI reports include all DSAs active from January 2020. For previous DSAs please see our release register archive.

The ICO guidance related to anonymisation and pseudonymisation has been updated and internal NHS England guidance is being reviewed. References to ICO guidance will be updated in the future.

*Our patient opt-out policy explains when opt-outs do and do not apply in more detail.

NHS Digital and NHS England merger 2023

Due to the merger of NHS Digital and NHS England on 1 February 2023, the Data Uses Register reports will no longer include data sharing agreements within NHS England from that date. 

Instead, the Internal Data Flow Record will provide information on data sharing internal to the new merged organisation.

Data uses registers

ARTICLE

Data Uses Register (Applicant organisations)

This report has interactive pages that allow you to delve into information about the DSA(s) that were submitted by an applicant organisation**
ARTICLE

Data Uses Register (Data controllers)

This report has interactive pages that allow you to delve into information about the DSA(s) for each data controlling organisation.

**The applicant organisation of a DSA is the organisation that submits the application to NHS England and is not always the organisation receiving or determining the purposes and means by which the data are processed.

The data controlling organisation determines the purposes and means by which the data are processed.

Internal Data Uses Register

View the record of approved internal data flows.

Data Sharing Framework Contracts

View the organisations with a Data Sharing Framework Contract (DSFC) (PDF only, 330KB).

The DSFC is an over-arching legal agreement that specifies the basis for data to be shared and outlines the terms and conditions of how data must be managed once it has been released to the data controller.

You can use DARS Online to apply for, approve or renew a DSFC.

National Back Office data release register

View the National Back Office (NBO) Data Release Register

This contains both Tracing service activity and Demographics Batch Service Bureau activity.

NDRS Data Release Register

The NDRS Data Release Register lists those organisations that have received data since the transition of the National Disease Registration Service to NHS England.

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) release register

Releases of NHS England data which are within the NHS England and Office for National Statistics jointly controlled Public Health Research Database (DSA NIC-420710-X0H1P) will be included in the ONS Release Register.

OpenSAFELY COVID-19 Service

Access to GP and NHS England pseudonymised patient data for COVID-19 research, COVID-19 clinical audit, COVID-19 service evaluation and COVID-19 health surveillance purposes, is available to approved users of the NHS England OpenSAFELY COVID-19 service.  You can review details of users/projects with approved access on the OpenSAFELY website. 

COVID-19 (non-DARS) data release register

The COVID-19 data release register contains details of the releases approved through a process which has been implemented specifically for COVID-19.

For further details on the programmes these releases relate to and the statutory basis which have been used, see NHS Digital response to coronavirus (COVID-19).

Feedback

To provide feedback that can be considered in producing future versions of the release register, please email [email protected]. 

The reports above are in Microsoft Power BI which does not fully support all accessibility needs. If you need further assistance, please contact us for help.

Further information

Last edited: 9 April 2026 10:05 am