I want to make an application to access data through Data Access Request Service (DARS)

This guidance explains how an eligible organisation can request access to health and social care data for purposes intended to help improve NHS services.

How to make a new request to access data through DARS

Organisations requesting access to NHS data must be able to demonstrate that they can meet all of NHS England’s legal, ethical and security requirements for safe data use.

The steps in the DARS process ensure these requirements are met.

DARS process steps draft

Enquiry

If you are thinking about making a request to access data using DARS, you should contact the DARS data applications team by email including the information below.

details of what NHS England data you want to access
summary of why you wish to request access to the data
names of the organisations who will be involved in the data access
an indication of your readiness to make a request access to data

We recommend making an enquiry as early as possible. For example, when you are at the early stages of applying for funding for your project, or you anticipate your request for data may be complex or novel.

Guidance on the information required in your enquiry can be found in the DARS applications supporting guidance.

We will review your enquiry to ensure that data you are requesting is available for access and technically feasible through DARS.

We may contact you to ask you to provide more information.

If your data needs can be met by DARS, we will move your enquiry to the preliminary assessment stage. During this stage we will undertake a more in depth assessment of your specific data access needs, along with the legal, ethical and security requirements, and appropriate services to access data to meet them

Preliminary assessment

The preliminary assessment looks at how DARS can meet your needs. We have provided additional guidance to support your application.

the most suitable service to access data based on your data needs
how organisations involved in your data access will meet any ethical, legal and the evidence you will need to provide
any preparations needed for data access, for example, submitting details of a participant cohort to NHS England
the relevant agreements needed for your data access request. This will ensure you can identify and prepare whoever needs to sign the agreements in line with any delegated authorities processes your organisation has in place
how organisations involved in data access will meet any security requirements including cloud storage
an indication of how long data access may take for your request
the estimated cost to meet your needs both of making an application, and of the service to access data this will enable you to confirm the source of funding, and provide payment details to DARS when needed

If your proposed use of the data is novel or potentially contentious, we may use our assurance process to receive early advice during the preliminary assessment.

This will provide you with an indication of if your request is likely to be supported and of the actions necessary before you can make a formal application.

Application submission and assurance

Application submission

The DARS team will advise when you’re ready to make a formal application. You will be allocated a dedicated DARS contact who will confirm and document the details of your data access request, supporting you through submission of your application.

At the appropriate time, the DARS team will grant access and invite you to provide information through the DARS online system.

Once an application has been submitted through the DARS online system, a review will take place to ensure that the application can be accepted. This is an important step in the process, and you may be contacted to amend, update or correct any information in your application to ensure it can be accepted into DARS

Once an application has been accepted, it then progresses through assurance.

Assurance

Before applications are approved, we will carry out a range of assurance checks to ensure the request meets our requirements.

There are different levels of assurance checks. A range of considerations including complexity and levels of risk determine which level is applied to each application. The levels are:

basic checks

Where risks are known and an application meets all requirements.

enhanced due diligence

Where an application requires additional oversight and risk review.

enhanced scrutiny

Where an application requires in-depth review as the risk is higher or unknown. Enhanced scrutiny could include independent review by the Advisory Group for Data (AGD).

If GP data is included in the application an additional review may be required by the Professional Advisory Group (PAG). PAG provides NHS England with specific advice and feedback from the GP profession.

Additional assurance may be recommended, before your application can be approved. The DARS team will support you with understanding any additional work you may need to complete.

Access to data

Once a signed DSA is in place, arrangements to access data are made to use the services to access data specified in the DSA.

To access data agreed in your signed DSA you may also need to:

where applicable, sign an additional service agreement for the service to access data you will be using. More information on service agreements can be found on contract and agreements required to access data required to access data from NHS England.
if required, promptly send participant (cohort) data to NHS England within the required time scale. Further information can be found in the guidance for submitting participant data (cohort file).

Last edited: 13 May 2026 5:23 pm