As long-term users of the statistics produced by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), we welcome the opportunity to respond to this consultation.
The consultation on changes to HSCIC’s statistics comes at an opportune time (HSCIC 2016). The various options for reducing costs through cuts in the publication of health and social care statistics is driven by reductions to HSCIC’s funding from the Department of Health as a result of the 2015 Spending Review. While we have provided responses to the specific consultation questions below, we believe it is important that HSCIC takes into consideration the wider context within which these proposed changes would occur before proceeding with any implementation.
