Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) Risk Assessment Collection

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), commonly known as blood clots, is a significant international patient safety issue. The first step in preventing death and disability from VTE is to identify those at risk so that preventative treatments (prophylaxis) can be given. This data collection quantifies the numbers of acute hospital patient admissions aged 16 and over at the time of admission) who are being risk assessed for VTE within 14 hours of decision to admit,¹ to identify those who should be given appropriate prophylaxis based on guidance NG89 from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). These measures have the potential to save many lives each year.

The VTE risk assessment is a national quality requirement in the NHS Standard Contract. It sets an operational standard of 95% of acute hospital patient admissions aged 16 and over being risk assessed for VTE within 14 hours of decision to admit each month.

All providers of NHS funded acute care (that is, NHS trusts and foundation trusts and independent sector providers of acute NHS services) must complete this data collection. Providers of non-acute health services are not asked to complete this data collection, although they should be aware that all patients should be protected from unnecessary risk of VTE.

For the purposes of this collection, risk assessment should be completed on acute hospital patient admissions within 14 hours of decision to admit¹. NICE guideline NG89 states that where required, pharmacological thromboprophylaxis should be started within 14 hours of decision to admit¹, therefore risk assessment should be completed prior to this, unless otherwise stated in the population-specific recommendations. 

From 1 July 2026, the collection will require risk assessments on acute hospital patient admissions within 14 hours of decision to admit, in line with the September 2025 update to NICE guideline NG89. Previously the collection required VTE risk assessments completed within 14 hours of admission.

From 1 April 2024, the collection restarted with the first submission due in July 2024. Following requests to restart, the collection underwent an assurance process which included consultation with providers. The data collection remained unchanged from the previous collection.

From 1 April 2020, the collection and publication of this data was paused to release NHS capacity to support the response to coronavirus (COVID-19).

From 1 April 2019, the operational standard changed from admitted patients aged 18 and over to admitted patients aged 16 and over.

June 2010, mandatory data collection for VTE commenced.

The collection will open on the first working day of the month following the end of the quarter data is being submitted for.

Submission deadline is the last working day of the same month.

Registered data submitters of the data collection will receive monthly emails from Strategic Data Collection Service (SDCS) confirming when the reporting window is opening and closing.

There are 2 scheduled revisions each year. These are opportunities for submitters to submit data for missed collections or submit revised data for collections previously submitted to.

The first scheduled revision collection for Q1 and Q2 will open on the third Monday of December and close on the 31 December. The second scheduled revision collection for Q3 and Q4 will open on the third Monday of June and close on the fourth Friday of June.

Submit data through the Strategic Data Collection Service (SDCS).

Frequency: Quarterly

Technical issues and questions relating to using the Strategic Data Collection System (SDCS) portal should be directed to the National Service Desk.