Additional data attributes associated with an ODS record, that do not fit into other components of the data model.

ODS data is subject to a large number of external influences. Policy and law change, organisational reconfiguration, requirements of system users and new reporting requirements all frequently result in the need for new reference data items to be introduced to the data. This can manifest in the form of new Organisation Roles for example, or completely new concepts for which there is an urgent requirement from the user base.  Such substantively new attributes must be introduced through formal information standards to ensure the appropriate checks and balances around risk, burden and quality are all considered and appropriately assured by NHS England Standards Board. However this means new requirements often cannot be met within the timescales needed, because the information standards process requires a significant lead-in time.

The Additional Attributes component provides a container that may be populated with new and non-standard values without significant advance notice. Content will explicitly and intentionally not be approved by NHSE Standards Board and users are advised to treat with caution – to effectively ignore it, unless and until a specific local requirement demands that one or more of the values that has been introduced be used.

This approach allows the issuing authority to proactively adopt new data items and incorporate them into the data at speed without undertaking the full information standards approvals process. In time, should a new attribute that has been introduced through this route become an essential requirement for stakeholders, the 
appropriate steps will be taken to bring a change through the approvals process and formally amend the Health and Social Care Organisation Reference Data information standard to incorporate it into the data model on a permanent basis.

Any use of the Additional Attributes to introduce a new type of data will be communicated to users through normal communications channels from the issuing authority. If a consumer has a requirement for the data then appropriate steps should be taken to interpret and use the attributes accordingly, but use is at the consumer’s own risk as the attributes are dynamic and may be omitted from the products at any time.

Additional Attributes - Data Attributes