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Open Data Portal Usage

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digital-service-performance-and-usage

Digital Service Performance and Usage

Digital performance metrics and usage data from across the NHSBSA services

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Licence

Open Government Licence 3.0 (United Kingdom) [Open Data]

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Open Data Portal Usage

Dataset Description

The Open Data Portal Usage dataset tracks interactions with the NHSBSA Open Data Portal, providing insight into how users engage with its resources. It logs metrics such as the type of interaction (e.g., file download, API usage, or filtered data views), dataset and resource names, and the themes under which the resources are categorised.

The dataset includes the following fields:

  • LOG_DATE: The date of the interaction in yyyymmdd format (e.g., 20230201).
  • THEME: The overarching category or theme under which the dataset or resource is grouped (e.g., "Community Prescribing & Dispensing").
  • DATASET: The name of the dataset containing the accessed resource.
  • RESOURCE_NAME: The specific name of the file or resource accessed.
  • ACCESS_TYPE: The mode of interaction, such as direct file downloads, API requests, or filtered data views within the Data Explorer.

This dataset is designed to improve transparency and provide a comprehensive view of how the NHSBSA Open Data Portal is used. It is valuable for tracking user behaviour, understanding trends, and informing improvements to the portal.

To protect the platform from misuse by spam users and bots, NHSBSA implemented rate limiting on the Open Data Portal as of October 2024. This measure restricts the number of API requests that can be made within a specific timeframe, ensuring that legitimate users are not adversely affected. The primary purpose of this initiative is to safeguard platform stability, prevent malicious activity, and ensure fair access to resources for all users, particularly when interacting with high-demand datasets.

The introduction of rate limiting has had a noticeable impact on usage trends within the data, as reflected in this publication. Automated, high-volume interactions from bots and spam users have significantly declined, leading to an overall reduction in usage metrics. However, genuine users remain unaffected, and legitimate activity continues to be recorded as expected.

In light of these changes, the dataset descriptions and information have been updated to provide greater clarity and relevance. These revisions include enhanced descriptions of dataset fields, improved transparency around usage trends, and more detailed contextual information, enabling users to better interpret the data in the context of these changes. This ensures the publication remains accessible and informative whilst also pre-empting enquiries relating to the drop in usage.

Overview of Service

The NHSBSA Open Data Portal provides free public access to healthcare datasets related to NHS services. It allows users to search for, explore, and download datasets for research, analysis, and public transparency. More information is available on the NHSBSA Open Data Portal website.

Dataset Details

Data Source

Datopian and NHSBSA Data Warehouse.

Data Collection

The data is collected through web analytics tools integrated into the Open Data Portal. These tools record user interactions in real-time, including downloads, page views, and API usage. The process adheres to NHSBSA’s data governance and privacy policies.

Time Periods

Each dataset file references usage activity for specific time periods, typically one calendar month (e.g., January 2024).

Geography

This dataset covers global usage activity, although most users are based in the United Kingdom.

Statistical Classification

Management Information – This is not an official statistic.

Caveats

Data Accuracy

Data accuracy depends on the functionality of the analytics platform and may be subject to minor discrepancies.

Enquiries

Who can I contact if I have queries relating to the data?

If you have any queries regarding the data provided, or if you plan on publishing the data, please contact DataServicesSupport@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the name of the dataset for reference. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

Citing and Reusing This Data

Important information regarding 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/or other applicable law. You may use the data freely, provided that you attribute the source.

Citation

NHS Business Services Authority. " Open Data Portal Usage” NHS Business Services Authority Open Data. Accessed **[Date Accessed]**. URL: https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/open-data-portal-usage

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Source NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) Data Warehouse
Contact Open Data Portal team
Version 1.0
State active
Last Updated August 8, 2025, 15:45 (UTC)
Created March 29, 2023, 15:12 (UTC)