Social care data in the UK; current landscape, challenges, and future recommendations

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Social Policy
• Data Science

Background:

• Social care in the UK supports individuals with age, illness, or disability, aiding hospital discharge and National Health Service (NHS) capacity.
• UK Health Technology Assessments (HTAs) often exclude social care data due to quality and accessibility issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize secondary sources of UK social care data suitable for research as of 2021.
• To assess the potential and limitations of existing social care data for research and HTA submissions.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive desk research approach was employed to identify potential data sources.
• Information was supplemented through direct engagement with data custodians and experts in the field.

Main Results:

• Twenty-one secondary sources of UK social care data were identified and categorized.
• Six sources were deemed high potential (three national, three regional), five future potential, and seven limited potential.

Conclusions:

• Despite numerous data sources, researcher access to UK social care data is limited and requires improvement.
• Enhanced data accessibility would improve understanding of disease burden, the impact of interventions, and resource allocation for social care and NHS services.