Submitting Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS) data

We have developed some step by step guidance to help users submit data to the Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS). If you have any feedback use our feedback form.

The data requirements for the Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS), can be found within the implementation and guidance documents page, including the LCSDS v1.0 Technical Output Specification.

For clarification, v6.0.6.4 is a minor uplift to the current version (v6.0.4), there will not be any changes to the Intermediate Database (IDB) so you can continue using the IDB that you have already been using since MHSDS v6.0 went live.

If you do not expect to make use of ICD-11 pilot functionality or make use of the new assessment tools, your submissions of MHSDS data from April 2026 will be the same as you have been used to since MHSDS v6.0 went live.

Performance submissions

MHSDS submissions are made in the month following the end of the activity period. Before October 2023, this submission was reported as provisional data. Providers were then able to submit data for the activity period in the next month’s submission window, which was reported as performance data, reporting was approximately 10 weeks after the end of the activity period.

From October 2023, performance data is reported from the submission made in the month following the activity period, meaning that performance data is now reported 6 weeks after the end of the activity period, giving more timely data for users. Provisional data is no longer reported.

Providers can submit multiple times during the submission window and run reports to check the quality of their data before resubmitting if required, there is no limit for how many times this can be done prior to the submission window closing. We encourage providers to submit early in the window, check data, and re-submit ahead of the window closure dates.

These are submissions made after the cut-off for performance monthly publications. Providers can submit data for any previous months during the financial year, however no data for the current financial year can be submitted post the end of year deadline. Updated data for each month is then published at the end of the year and labelled as 'end of year final' to give an accurate record of activity for each month.

Updated submissions made after the submission date for performance data will also be used in quarterly or 12 month rolling measures during the year where applicable. Further information is also available within the MHSDS step-by-step guidance.

MHSDS v6.0 went live on 24 May 2024. Dates for submission deadlines are shown below for performance activity and resubmissions each month.