Core Information Standard

The Core Information Standard defines a set of information that may be shared between systems in different sites and settings, and with professionals and people using services. It is a key enabler of integrated, joined up care. 

The information accessed will differ depending on who is accessing it, for what reason and the wishes of the individual receiving care. Its use will be decided locally. NHS England specifies the PRSB Core Information Standard as the standard that all shared care records should conform to. 

Current release

Version: V2.0
Release date
August 2021
Release notes
New call-to-action
Next release date
November 2024
Next release type
Scheduled release
The standard
Full standard – PRSB viewer
New call-to-action
Full standard – Excel
New call-to-action
Full standard – Json
Download file (Json)
Supporting documentation
Description/purpose
Information standards notice (ISN)
ISN expected Autumn 2024
ISNs are published to announce new or changes to information standards published under section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.
Implementation guidance
This document includes general implementation guidance for all PRSB standard and detailed guidance, specific to the Core Information Standard.
Business rules
Rules for implementation of the standard.
Final report
Describes the purpose, methodolgy and stakeholder engagement for developing the standard, along with the findings and recommendations for further work.
Survey report
The online survey was part of the consultation approach in the development of the standard and came after detailed work on specific topic areas and a national workshop on the entire standard.
Safety case
Summarises the hazards which could result from implementing the standard.
Hazard log
Details the potential hazards from implementing the standard with their risk rating and mitigation.
Male And Female Nurse Working At Nurses Station

Need implementation support?

We provide a support and maintenance service for organisations who are using and implementing PRSB standards. Contact us by phone, email or complete our online form. You will get an automated ID number, and a response within 5 working days. All enquiries are used to improve our products and services.
Partners at work

comformant partners

The following PRSB Partners have successfully achieved conformance against this standard.

About this standard

The Core Information Standard defines a set of information which should be common to most systems and would be a merge of records drawn from different settings. It sets out what information should be shared between organisations and geographies and could be used to populate shared care records. The expectation is that this information would be read only, at least initially. 

The standard will enable health and care professionals to: 

  • view a consolidated medication record
  • run algorithms where there may be gaps in care
  • identify individuals at risk
  • proactively notify other health and care professionals.
 

Local implementations will need to define different ‘views’ in their shared care record of the information for different professionals and other users, including people who use services, and local use cases based on the information governance framework which will be published by NHS England.

These views should define what information is needed by a professional (or a person) in particular circumstances. How the information is presented to professionals and people in a shared care record will be dependent on the local systems in place, but it should be presented in such a way as to provide maximum benefit for different users (in different roles) in each given use case.

A view of a shared care record conformant with the Core Information Standard has been approved as appropriate and complementary for professionals working in pharmacy, optometry, dentistry, ambulance and community services. The use of a national common core information standard across all services will complement the introduction and expansion of local ICS shared care record developments.

Scope

The Core Information Standard is a thoroughly researched and validated definition of the standard, tested with citizens, patients, carers and health and social care professionals.

It defines:

  • a core set of information relevant for direct care across a variety of settings.
  • a set of information that could potentially be shared with professionals depending on their role and circumstances.
  • a definition of the information professionals and people who use services have told us they want to see in a sShared cCare rRecord.
  • an information set that is readily translatable across clinical settings e.g. mental health to accident and emergency; acute care to social care etc.
  • a blueprint for local implementations to draw from for their own local sources depending on local requirements. Local implementers may add to the core information.

 

The Core Information Standard is not

  • a definition of an exhaustive clinical or care record / history.
  • a definitive set of information about the person’s current status – no clinical record is this and clinical information needs to be understood by the professional reading it as such.
  • a prescriptive definition of what must be included – this will be determined ultimately by local projects and specific use cases.
  • a physical data model – FHIR profiles to support interoperability of the data between systems will be commissioned by NHS England..
  • a definition of what information professionals should be able to see or change – this will be set out in NHS England’s Information Governance Framework and Role- Based Access Control work.
  • a definition of how information should be presented to professionals – what is presented, the depth of history and how the information is viewed/accessed should be defined locally.
  • a definition of a shared care record.
  • a definition of how the content should be sourced, updated, de-duplicated and normalised i.e. the source data and its processing.
  • additions or adjustments needed to successfully implement locally which must be defined in local projects.

How it works

The standard can be seen as a broad set of flexible components (or sections), a sub-set of which will be relevant in different situations for different use cases. It has been designed as a generic standard, not for specific use cases. The expectation is that local health and care localities will prioritise their local use cases and build local interoperability informed by the Core Information Standard. 

NameDescription
Person demographicsThe person’s details and contact information.
GP practiceDetails of the person’s GP practice.
About meAbout me
Individual requirementsThe individual requirements of the person. Includes Reasonable Adjustments, Impairments, Cognition, Mobility
AlertsDetails of alerts.
Legal informationThe legal information relating to the person. Includes consent for sharing, consent relating to child, mental capacity assessment, lasting power of attorney, deprivation of liberty safeguards, mental health act status, Advance decision to refuse treatment,
SafeguardingThe safeguarding details of the person. Includes Looked after child, child protection plan, unborn child protection plan
Professional contactsThe details of the person’s professional contacts.
Personal contactsThe details of the individual’s personal contacts.
Participation in researchParticipation in research
Referral detailsThe details of the referral.
Contacts with professionalsThe details of the person’s contact with a professional.
Admission detailsAdmission details
Discharge detailsDischarge details
Future appointmentsDetails of future appointments.
VaccinationsDetails of vaccinations.
Problem listA summary of the problems that require investigation or treatment.
Procedures and therapiesThe details of any procedures performed. Includes both psychological and medical therapies and procedures (e.g. cognitive behaviour therapy, hip replacement)
Social contextThe social setting in which the person lives, such as their accommodation, household, occupational history, educational history and lifestyle factors and dependents.
Services and careThe services and care provided for the person.
Primary support reasonThe primary support reason for social care.
Investigation resultsInvestigation results
Investigations requestedDetails of any investigations requested
Examination findingsExamination findings
Pregnancy statusPregnancy status of the person.
AssessmentsDetails of the person’s assessments
FormulationDetails of the person’s formulation.
RisksDetails of any risks related to the person.
Allergies and adverse reactionsAllergies and adverse reactions
Medications and medical devicesMedications and medical devices
Equipment and adaptationsDetails of equipment/asset (or modifications) that the Local Authority has provided to the patient.
Plan and requested actionsThe details of planned investigations, procedures and treatment, and whether this plan has been agreed with the person or their legitimate representative.
Care and support planThis records the decisions reached during conversation between the individual and health and care professional about future plans and also records progress.
Contingency/safety plansThese are the things to do and people to contact, should an individual’s health or other circumstances get worse for safety.
Additional support plansAdditional support plans e.g. dieticians plan, wound management plan, discharge management plan and behaviour support plan. includes Advance statement.
End of life careInformation relating to end of life care. This is not an end of life care plan but contains information that would be found in an end of life care plan. Includes CPR decision and Anticipatory medications.
Documents (including correspondence, audio and images)Details about documents related to the person.

Use of the Core Information Standard in community settings: pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, ambulance and community services (PODAC): 

PRSB has validated the use of the Core Information Standard for shared care records to professionals working in pharmacy, optometry, dentistry, ambulance and community services, following widespread consultation with clinicians, people using these services and a range of PRSB stakeholders. 

This will enable professionals working in these care settings to have access to the right information at the right time to provide clinically safe and effective care, subject to appropriate information governance controls. Using the standard in these settings should improve care and outcomes for people, and it should improve the working lives of professionals who won’t need to create workarounds or log into multiple systems to ensure they have a complete picture of a person’s current and relevant care history, before starting treatment.  

Examples

These two use cases show how the core information standard and shared care records can support health and care for people and professionals 

Further resources

  • Standards explained
    PRSB’s guide to standards which sets out the purpose and benefits of using standards and how to support frontline professionals to adopt them.
  • IHRIM record correction guidance
    Despite vigilance when filing information in records, mistakes can occur. The Institute of Health Records and Information Management has guidance to support professionals in making corrections following errors.

Endorsement

  • Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
  • British Dietetic Association (BDA)
  • British Orthodontic Society
  • British Psychological Society
  • Care Providers Alliance
  • Carers UK
  • Chartered Society of Physiotherapists
  • College of Optometrists
  • College of Paramedics
  • Institute of Health Records and Information Management
  • National Voices
  • Patient Information Forum
  • Queens Nursing Institute
  • Royal College of Anaesthetists
  • Royal College of Emergency Medicine
  • Royal College of General Practitioners
  • Royal College of Midwives
  • Royal College of Nursing
  • Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists
  • Royal College of Ophthalmologists
  • Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health
  • Royal College of Pathologists
  • Royal College of Physicians
  • Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
  • Royal College of Surgeons