DHSC statistics: compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics
A summary of how DHSC meets the standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, including the department's policies on the release of official statistics.
Commitment to the Code of Practice
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is committed to producing and publishing statistics that serve the public good and meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and value, as set out in the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice for Statistics (edition 3.0). This statement summarises how DHSC meets these standards and outlines our policies on release practices and charges for supplementary services, in line with statutory and regulatory requirements.
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.
Release practice
In line with Practice 3.11 of the Standards for Official Statistics, the below sets out the release practice policy across DHSC.
Principles
DHSC’s release practices are founded on the code’s core principles of:
- trustworthiness
- quality
- value
This means:
- acting with integrity and independence
- using robust methods and data
- publishing statistics that meet user needs and support the public good
We also adopt OSR’s guidance on transparent release and use (‘intelligent transparency’). In practice, DHSC will ensure equality of access, clear understanding through context and explanation, and clarity about sources, limitations and status.
DHSC commits to:
- publishing statistics at pre‑announced times through the GOV.UK statistical release calendar
- releasing all statistics impartially and in a manner that ensures equal access for all users
- publishing accompanying commentary to support interpretation and limit the risk of misinterpretation
- ensuring all statistical updates are released in final form only, with no early access outside the strict pre‑release arrangements, as per the Statement of compliance with the Pre-release Access to Official Statistics Order 2008
Trustworthiness
DHSC ensures statistics are produced independently, impartially and free from political influence. Access to unpublished statistics is strictly controlled:
- pre-release access is granted only under the terms of the Pre‑Release Access to Official Statistics Order 2008, as per the Statement of compliance with the Pre-release Access to Official Statistics Order 2008
- any concerns or breaches, including disorderly release or mishandling of unpublished data, are reported promptly to the DHSC Head of Profession for Statistics and, where appropriate, escalated to OSR
- all individuals handling unpublished data are reminded of their responsibilities, including confidentiality protections and the importance of maintaining public trust
Quality
DHSC maintains rigorous quality assurance processes to ensure that all statistics:
- are produced using appropriate methods and data sources
- are quality‑checked against established guidance across DHSC, including statistical disclosure control, where necessary
- adhere to the standards set out in our quality management approach statement
Value
DHSC aims to ensure that its statistics:
- support public understanding and informed decision-making
- meet user needs across government, health bodies, Parliament, civil society and the public
- are released with clear explanations, accessible formats and transparent methodology
DHSC engages regularly with users and stakeholders through the statistics community and other channels to ensure our outputs remain relevant and usable.
Charges for additional services
DHSC does not currently charge for additional statistical services. However, in line with Practice 10.6 of the Code of Practice, DHSC may charge for additional statistical services beyond the standard publication of official statistics.
These may include:
- custom data extracts or tabulations requiring specialist analyst time
- bespoke analysis not published as part of routine statistical outputs
- consultancy support for research projects requiring substantial analytical input
Charging principles
Should DHSC decide to charge for additional services, any charges will be:
- transparent - a schedule of charges will be published and made available to users
- cost‑reflective - based on the actual cost of staff time and resources
- non‑discriminatory - applied consistently across all external users
DHSC will not charge for access to standard published statistics or for fulfilling statutory obligations (for example freedom of information (FOI) requests).
Contact and feedback
We welcome feedback on all our statistical outputs, policies and practices.
Contact: statistics@dhsc.gov.uk.
Alternatively, contact the responsible statistician or team named on each publication for feedback or information specific to that statistical output.