GP Practice Data Collection - NDA
The role of National Clinical Audits (NDA) in meeting the duty of quality introduced through the Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement)(Wales) Act 2020 is highlighted in Welsh Government’s statutory guidance on the duty of quality and quality standards. The NDA is part of NHS Wales National Clinical Audit and Outcome Review Plan (NCAORP), which sets the expectation around participation, confirms the link to quality improvement and asks organisations to explore ways to utilise data.
Under section 255(1) of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, a formal request was made from NHS Wales to NHS Digital (whose functions transferred to NHSE) to deliver the NDA, which it has done for a number of years. DHCW was established as a Special Health Authority under the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006. DHCW extracts relevant information from GP systems to provide it to NHSE. This is an established process underpinned by the National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts)(Wales) Regulations 2023, which require GP practices to allow DHCW to access data for the purposes of the NCAORP, and practices to produce or allow access to any information reasonably required in connection with LHB functions.
In summary, to support the delivery of the NDA, LHBs write to GP practices to inform them about the data collection, DHCW extracts the relevant data from GP IT systems and securely transfers it to NHS England.
NATIONAL DIABETES AUDIT – A SUMMARY FOR PATIENTS
We want to help people with diabetes get the best care.
To do this, your GP shares a small amount of your information so the NHS can learn how to make diabetes care better.
What information is shared?
Your GP shares only a few details:
- Your NHS number
- Your postcode
- Your sex at birth
- Your date of birth
- Your GP practice code
Your name is NOT shared.
Why is your information shared?
Sharing this helps the NHS to:
- See how people with diabetes are being cared for
- Learn what is working well
- Find ways to make care better for everyone
The reports they make do NOT show who you are.
Is your information safe?
Yes. Your information is kept:
- Safe on secure computers
- Only seen by trained staff
- Sent safely between NHS teams
Who uses the information?
- Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) collects the data
- NHS England studies the data and makes reports
From 2026, DHCW will also get some information back to help improve care in Wales.
Your rights
You can:
- Ask to see the information about you
- Ask for mistakes to be fixed
- Ask your GP questions about how your information is used
- Ask your GP not to share your data for the purposes of the National Diabetes Audit*
Key message
Your GP shares small, safe pieces of information to help the NHS make diabetes care better for you and everyone else. Your name is never shared.
*Information is only shared to deliver public benefits by improving services and making sure resources are targeted at the right places and at the right times. If lots of people decide not to allow their information to be shared it has an impact on the quality of analysis that can be carried out. We hope you are happy for your information to be shared but we respect your right to choose. Please speak to your GP Practice if you have concerns about how and why information is shared.
Summary Fair Processing info_NDA 2025-26
Detailed Fair Processing info_NDA_2025-26