Enhanced Community Care (ECC) Aggregate Data Collection

Enhanced Community Care (ECC) Aggregate Data Collection

DPN Ref. No. 2026 / 04 Enhanced Community Care (ECC) Aggregate Data Collection

A Data Provision Notice to require the submission of data for Enhanced Community Care (ECC)

Purpose

The purpose of this collection is to establish a consistent national approach to reporting ECC activity across Wales.

This Data Provision Notice (DPN) sets out the national requirements for the collection, submission and reporting of Enhanced Community Care (ECC) aggregate activity data across NHS Wales. It establishes a consistent national reporting approach, providing a robust evidence base to support service planning, operational management, performance monitoring and national oversight.

The collection will provide visibility of an important area of community-based care that is not currently captured through a national patient-level dataset, supporting service planning, performance monitoring, operational management and service improvement.

The collection will standardise definitions and reporting arrangements to improve consistency, reduce variation and strengthen understanding of ECC activity across Health Boards.

The collection will remain aggregate in nature as an interim national reporting solution whilst Community Data Standards, digital maturity and future patient-level reporting capabilities continue to develop across NHS Wales.

Simple Definition:

An integrated health and social care approach with an identified population group, delivering a multi-professional response, avoiding crisis and acute interventions where feasible.

Expanded Definition:

An integrated health and social care approach with an identified population group, delivering a multi-professional and/or cross sector response avoiding crisis and escalation of health and care needs where feasible. This may include step up support to prevent hospital admission or step-down support to enable people to leave hospital early, while still receiving the treatment, care and support the person requires.

Enhanced Community Care (ECC) is a model of care rather than a discrete service, involving Health Boards, Local Authorities and third-sector partners.

Scope of Collection

This Data Provision Notice (DPN) defines the requirements for the national monthly collection of aggregate Enhanced Community Care (ECC) activity data from NHS Wales Health Boards.

The collection covers Level 4 Enhanced Community Care services and integrated Level 3/4 service provision where Enhanced Community Care activity can be separately identified. Aggregate data will be collected and submitted by NHS Wales Health Boards to support national performance monitoring, service planning and reporting. The DPN sets out the requirements for the collection of the following aggregate data items:

Total number of referrals to ECC received.
Total number of discharges from ECC.
Average (mean) length of stay (days) in ECC.
- o Sum of the length of stay of people discharged within the reporting month, in days.
Total number of referrals to ECC, split by referral source.
Total number of referrals to ECC, split by referral outcome.
Total number of people who have received an ECC service within the reporting period.
Total number of discharges from ECC, split by discharge destination.

Inclusion Criteria

The collection includes:

Level 4 Enhanced Community Care services.
Integrated Level 3/4 service provision where Enhanced Community Care activity can be identified.

Exclusion Criteria

The collection excludes:

Level 1–3 multi-professional services that do not deliver Enhanced Community Care activity.
Activity captured through other national data collections.
Patient-level data, as this collection is limited to aggregate reporting.

Form and Manner

All NHS Wales Health Boards are required to submit Enhanced Community Care (ECC) aggregate data as part of this national collection.

Data will be submitted to NHS Wales Performance and Improvement using the approved Microsoft Excel data collection template. Completed returns must be submitted by email to: nhspi_data.analytics@wales.nhs.uk.

Any queries can also be directed to: NHSPI_Data.Analytics@wales.nhs.uk

The data items to be submitted, together with their definitions and validation requirements, are provided in the Form Specification section of this Data Provision Notice.

Read the Data Provision Notice

Change Control

There are no previous versions of this DPN to display

Previous Reviews:

N/A