Version: 1.0.0 | Published: 23 Aug 2026 | Updated: 0 days ago
Summary
Documentation
Associated Media:
Description:
The Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS) is the national patient level dataset covering all NHS funded mental health, learning disability, and autism services in London. It provides comprehensive, person based information on assessments, treatments, outcomes, and service use.
MHSDS is the most comprehensive dataset for understanding mental health care delivery in London – essential for improving access, quality, safety, and outcomes.
The data set includes:
1. Patient demographics such as Age, Sex, Ethnicity, Postcode, Disability and long-term conditions, Autism and learning disability indicators.
2. Clinical information such as Diagnoses, Mental Health care events, Interventions and therapies, Risk assessments and care plans.
3. Activity and service use including:
- Referrals, assessments, contacts, crisis care
- Inpatient stays in mental health units
- Community and outpatient mental health activity
- Detentions under the Mental Health Act (where recorded)
4. Provider and commissioning details which include:
- NHS trusts, independent providers, voluntary sector
- NHS funded vs non NHS funded care
- Submission requirements for London and commissioned care outside London
It excludes privately funded care.
Researchers would find the below most important or relevant when using MHSDS:
1. Understanding population needs by using MHSDS to identify Prevalence of mental health conditions, Patterns of comorbidity, Autism and learning disability needs. This helps target resources and design tailored interventions.
2. Care pathways and service performance which allows Researchers to analyse Referral-to-treatment timelines, Crisis care utilisation, Community vs inpatient care patterns, Variation between providers. This supports pathway redesign and operational improvement.
3. Inequalities in access and outcomes by using demographic fields allows:
- Analysis of disparities by ethnicity, age, disability, deprivation
- Identification of groups with poorer access or outcomes
4. Quality and safety
MHSDS supports Monitoring of risk assessments, Tracking restrictive interventions, Understanding crisis presentations, Evaluating care plans and follow up.
5. Policy and service development
Because MHSDS is national and longitudinal, it is used to:
- Evaluate mental health strategies
- Support commissioning decisions
- Improve service models for autism and learning disability
Using MHSDS, researchers can:
- Improve early intervention by identifying high risk groups
- Reduce inequalities through demographic driven insights
- Enhance crisis pathways by analysing crisis care patterns
- Strengthen community care by understanding service utilisation
- Support personalised care through detailed clinical and needs data.
In Pipeline:
Available
Coverage
Spatial:
- United Kingdom
- England
- London
Typical Age Range Min:
0
Typical Age Range Max:
150
Material Type:
None/not available
Follow Up:
1 - 10 Years
Pathway:
This dataset contains all Mental Health Services Activity for London patients.
Each patient will be identified using an unique patient key, this can be used to
link to other London SDE datasets that will help track the patient pathway.
Provenance
Origin
Purpose:
- Administrative
- Care
- Other
Dataset Type:
- Health and disease
- Treatments/Interventions
Dataset Sub-Type:
- Others
- Others
Source:
EPR
Collection Source:
Other
Image Contrast:
No
Temporal
Publishing Frequency:
Monthly
Distribution Release Date:
01 September 2026
Start Date:
01 April 2018
Time Lag:
1-2 weeks
Accessibility
Access
Access Rights:
London Secure Data Environment Enquiry Form
Access Service Category:
TRE/SDE
Access Service:
Researchers will have access to a secure workspace via an airlocked Azure
Virtual Desktop with a specific username and password, MFA (multi-factor
authentication) and OAUTH (open authentication). Researchers will get specific
access to a relevant subset of the datasets that are present in the SDE
catalogue for their project and will be able to carry out their research within
the safe haven. There are restrictions applied which prevent the researchers
from taking data out of the safe haven. Once the research is completed the
London SDE admin team will need to be contacted for any requests to egress
summary analysis out of the safe haven which will not breach secure data
environment disclosure control standards.
Access Request Cost:
Access costs will be determined on a project-by-project basis and will depend on
the specific data requirements, platform setup, and any additional services
needed to deliver the project successfully.
Delivery Lead Time:
1-2 months
Data Controller:
Participating London health care organisations act as Joint Data Controllers
within the London SDE. These organisations include for example GP Practices and
Acute Providers from across London.
Data Processor:
The data processor for the London Secure Data Environment (SDE) is primarily
managed by OneLondon, a partnership of London's five integrated care systems
(ICSs) and three health innovation networks. NHS North East London ICB hosts
OneLondon and operates the London Data Service (LDS) as a data processor on
behalf of those organisations, whilst Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
hosts the London Analytics Platform (LAP), with Imperial NHS Trust acting as the
data processor for data processing activities undertaken within the platform.
Jurisdiction:
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Usage
Data Use Limitation:
No restriction
Data Use Requirements:
- Collaboration required
- Institution-specific restrictions
- Project-specific restrictions
- Time limit on use
- User-specific restriction
Resource Creator:
London SDE
Format and Standards
Vocabulary Encoding Scheme:
- NHS NATIONAL CODES
- LOCAL
- OPCS4
- ICD10
- SNOMED CT
Conforms To:
- NHS DATA DICTIONARY
- LOCAL
Language:
English
Format:
Text
Enrichment and Linkage
Investigations:
Linkable Datasets
PID
Title
URL
Each patient will be identified by an unique patient key that can be used to link to all other datasets available within London SDE Platform
Observations
Statistical Population
Population Description
Population Size
Measured Property
Observation Date
Events
56878950
Count
23 September 2026
Persons
Distinct Patient Count
3165307
Count
23 September 2026
Origin
Name:
NWL Data Catalogue