Thank you for your request for information about the following:

Request

‘Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request the following information:

• Postcode data for the uptake of the Healthy Start scheme in Hertfordshire for the past 6 months: December 2024 – May 2025. Postcodes requested are listed below.

Please provide the information in electronic format, by return.

Postcodes are as follows:

POSTCODE AREA

POST TOWN

OVERLAP

MAJORITY

AL1

St. Albans

AL2

St. Albans

AL3

St. Albans

AL4

St. Albans

AL5

Harpenden

YES

Herts

AL6

Welwyn

AL7

Welwyn Garden City

AL8

Welwyn Garden City

AL9

Hatfield

AL10

Hatfield

CM21

Sawbridgeworth

YES

Herts

CM22

Bishop's Stortford

YES

Essex

CM23

Bishop's Stortford

YES

Herts

EN5

London/Barnet

NO

EN6

Potters Bar

YES

Herts

EN7

Waltham Cross

YES

Herts

EN8

Waltham Cross

YES

Herts

EN9

Waltham Cross

NO

Essex

EN10

Broxbourne

YES

Herts

EN11

Hoddesdon

YES

Herts

HP1

Hemel Hempstead

HP2

Hemel Hempstead

HP3

Hemel Hempstead

HP4

Berkhamsted

YES

Herts

HP5

Buckinghamshire

NO

Bucks

HP23

Tring

YES

Herts

SG1

Stevenage

SG2

Stevenage

SG3

Knebworth

SG4

Hitchin

SG5

Hitchin

YES

Beds

SG6

Letchworth Garden City

SG7

Baldock

YES

Beds

SG8

Royston

YES

Cambs

SG9

Buntingford

SG10

Much Hadham

SG11

Puckeridge/Standon

SG12

Stansted Abbots

SG13

Hertford

SG14

Hertford

WD1

Bushey, South Oxhey,

WD2

Abbots Langley;Aldenham,

WD3

Chorleywood;Rickmansworth

YES

WD4

Kings Langley

WD5

Abbots Langley

WD6

Borehamwood

YES

WD7

Radlett

WD17

Watford

WD18

Watford

WD19

Watford

WD23

Bushey

YES

Barnet LB

WD24

Watford

WD25

Watford

Please also advise when we may be able to expect eligibility data of those not yet signed up to Healthy Start.’

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 23 May 2025.

We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

Our response

Question 1 - Postcode data for the uptake of the Healthy Start scheme in Hertfordshire for the past 6 months: December 2024 – May 2025.

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested, and a copy of the information is attached.

Please note, where N/A shows under the ‘People on the Digital Scheme’ column, this means that there is either no one in that post code on Healthy Start, or the post code does not match the latest ONS file in which we use for mapping.

Fewer than five

Please be aware that I have decided not to release figures where the total number of People on Digital Scheme falls below five. This is because the individuals could be identified, when combined with other information that may be in the public domain or reasonably available. This information falls under the exemption in section 40 subsections 2 and 3 (a) of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This is because it would breach the first data protection principle as:

a - it is not fair to disclose individual’s personal details to the world and is likely to cause damage or distress.

b - these details are not of sufficient interest to the public to warrant an intrusion into the privacy of the individual.  

Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full.   

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/40

Question 2 - Please also advise when we may be able to expect eligibility data of those not yet signed up to Healthy Start.

An issue has been identified with the source data that is used to calculate uptake of the NHS Healthy Start scheme since January 2023. We have therefore removed the columns for the number of people eligible for the scheme and the uptake percentage from January 2023 onwards while we investigate this further with the data provider. We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause and endeavour to provide an update as soon as we can.

You can find out more about Healthy Start uptake data by visiting the UK Parliament website (opens in a new tab).

The issue has only affected the data on the number of people eligible for the scheme. It has not prevented anyone from joining the scheme or continuing to access the scheme if they were eligible.

Data Queries

Please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference if you have any specific questions regarding this response; or, if you feel you may be misunderstanding or misinterpreting the information; or, if you plan on publishing the data.

Reusing the data and copyright

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “NHSBSA Copyright 2025”. Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.