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CDM Advisory Community and Groups

Get involved with the CDM

The CDM Advisory Community and Advisory Groups bring together people from across health and care to support the development of the NHS Canonical Data Model (CDM).

There are different ways to get involved, depending on how much time and commitment you can offer.

  • Join the Advisory Community – stay informed and access published updates and materials.
  • Join an Advisory Group – actively contribute as a subject‑matter expert by reviewing proposals and attending meetings.

Both options play an important role in shaping a clinically safe, technically sound and operationally viable data model.

Explore this page for more information, review the Terms of Reference, and submit your expression of interest to join.


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The Advisory Community

The Advisory Community is for people who want to stay informed about CDM activity but cannot commit to regular meetings or formal review work.

As a community member, you will:

  • be added to a CDM contact list
  • have access to a dedicated space on NHS Futures
  • be able to view updates, recordings and published materials

This option is suitable if you want visibility of CDM work without the responsibilities of group membership.

Access requirements

Note: You need to express interest to access this space

The Advisory Groups

The Advisory Groups are for stakeholders who want to be actively involved in shaping the CDM.

Group members:

  • act as subject‑matter experts
  • review proposals and documentation
  • attend meetings and provide specialist input

All group members are required to:

  • commit to engaging with the group
  • agree to the Terms of Reference

The Advisory Groups replace the previous Expert Reference Group and work together to bring clinical, technical and implementation expertise into CDM development.

Core Advisory Group (CAG)

Bringing clinical and operational perspectives to the table, this group focuses on making sure the CDM reflects real-world workflows and supports safe, effective care.

Members will have specific knowledge of either clinical or operational workflows and the associated data requirements and constraints and represent from the following areas - clinical, clinical safety, operations, data and informatics, information governance, commissioning.

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Note: You need to express interest to access this space

Technical Advisory Group (TAG)

This group dives into the detail of data architecture and standards, helping to ensure the CDM is robust, interoperable, and built on best practice.

Members will have specific knowledge of data architecture, technical implementation, data standards, interoperability, and represent from the following areas – data engineering, data architecture, technical architecture, standards and interoperability

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Note: You need to express interest to access this space

Supplier Advisory Group (SAG)

Working closely with technology providers, this group advises on practical considerations for implementation, ensuring the CDM can be adopted smoothly across local systems.

Members will have specific knowledge of healthcare IT systems, implementation of data models within systems, representing from system suppliers, technology providers

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Note: You need to express interest to access this space