CDM Logical Model

The Logical Model establishes the definitive standard for health and care data across the NHS. Its primary aim is to create a consistent, single structure that eliminates data fragmentation, ensuring information is universally understood and easily used by systems, analysts, and clinicians.

This consistency is foundational to enabling safe, interconnected patient care and high-quality strategic reporting.

The NHS CDM is vast and complex. To ensure a safe, practical, and effective delivery, we employ a phased approach to manage scale, mitigate clinical risk, ensure robust data governance, and facilitate collaborative input via our CDM Advisory Groups (CDM AGs).

Our work is structured using a clear hierarchy of Lenses and Domains .

1. Lenses: These are four distinct, broad areas that reflect diverse, high-level use cases (e.g. Finance, Workforce). They define why the data is used.

2. Domains: These are specific, focused groupings of data elements and attributes (e.g. Medicines, Service Request) that sit within a Lens. They define what data is required.

Key considerations

• Lens Overlap: It's important to recognise that overlaps naturally exist between Lenses and Domains. For instance, a staff member (Workforce Lens) and a prescription (Supply Chain Lens) both have a cost element (Finance Lens). The scope of each domain is carefully managed to cater for these cross-cutting requirements.

• Evolving Scope: The list of domains published within the lenses are not exhaustive. It represents only the current planned and active development work. The domains will be continuously updated and expanded as our work progresses and new requirements are agreed upon.

Directory of Lenses

Use the directory below to navigate the published areas of the CDM. Domains are categorised by their current internal status.

To access the detailed definitions, version control, and technical downloads for each domain (when they are available), select the corresponding Lens section below.

Subject of care

This lens describes the administrative pathway for a patient, including key elements from their clinical record. It provides the essential information needed to support direct patient care, operational reporting, and national-level data standards.

Workforce

This lens defines the staff and their roles that together deliver clinical activities within a health organisation. It captures key details obtained from the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) and ensures the accurate flow of workforce data throughout the system.

Supply chain

This lens describes the supply of clinical equipment and devices used to support patient treatment. This also includes processes for prescribing and issuing medication, ensuring that all aspects of the supply chain are correctly captured in the data model.

Finance

This lens describes the financial pathway of care, covering everything from the costs of clinical contacts and inpatient stays to the cost of supplying equipment and medication. This lens is closely linked to operational data at the trust, ICB, and national level.

Your experience with the CDM is vital to its success. If you have any suggestions, spot an issue, or have a question, let us know by emailing the team at england.cdm@nhs.net