***Due to delays in the accompanying context, we are delaying the release of the dataset for coherence purposes. The data will be released as soon as possible and will cover data from...
Introducing Rate Limiting on the NHSBSA Open Data Portal
The NHSBSA Open Data Portal provides essential healthcare data to researchers, policymakers, developers and the public. To keep the portal reliable and accessible for everyone, we’ve introduced rate limiting.
What is Rate Limiting?
Rate limiting helps manage traffic by capping the number of requests you can send in a minute or hour. If you go over the limit then an error will be displayed and you will need to wait before trying again. This ensures the portal stays fast, secure and fair for all users.
Why Do We Need Rate Limiting?
Rate limiting helps us to:
Prevent System Overload: Avoid slowdowns or crashes during busy times.
Ensure Fair Access: Stop any single user or system from monopolising resources.
Protect Against Abuse: Reduce risks from bots or malicious activity.
Manage Costs: Keep server demands and operating expenses in check.
What You Need to Know
Usage Limits: Each user can make a set number of API requests per minute or hour (e.g., 100 requests per minute).
Optimise Your Requests: Use caching and batch queries to avoid unnecessary calls.
Benefits of Rate Limiting
Keeps the portal fast and reliable.
Ensures equal access for everyone.
Protects against overuse or misuse.
The rate limits have been live tested over the past few months and feature as standard on many websites. With this in mind, we are not expecting these rate limits to impact how you access and interact with the NHSBSA Open Data Portal, however if you do encounter issues then please contact us at dataservicessupport@nhsbsa.nhs.uk.