UK Gov Statistics page has an 'upcoming' tab, ie a publications schedule

by @JoBrodie, brodiesnotes.blogspot.com

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tl;dr =  https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics (look for the announcement's tab, which cleverly has its own bookmarkable URL https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements - RSS / email alerts may also appear).

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At some point every year various data / statistics collectors release the previous year's aggregated stats such as mortality rates (what everyone died of), QOF* figures, prescription costs (how much money the NHS has spent on X,Y and Z), various in-patient audits and they're generally predictable. Other reports are released quarterly, some on a more ad hoc basis, some are a complete surprise.

My favourite predictable stats info page is the Scottish Diabetes Survey http://www.diabetesinscotland.org.uk/Publications.aspx?catId=3

The HSCIC (Health & Social Care Information Centre) has a publication schedule (I'm interested in the ones to do with diabetes prescriptions and the national diabetes audits) and you can see on this page http://www.hscic.gov.uk/pubs/calendar what documents are due to be published, and when.

I asked the Gov.uk people if they might have such a thing for their Government publications page (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications) and it turns out they've recently launched something like this for their Statistics (though not other kinds of publications). Fair enough, it's a nice start. 

Published https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics
Yet to be published https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements

Both are actually the same page - the 'yet to be published' is just the 'Upcoming' tab.

They also said that they're planning to have RSS feeds & email subscriptions (keyword search results pinged automatically to you via alerts) which I'm very pleased about, and had previously asked for.

I thought others might like to know :)

*Quality and Outcomes Framework which has a particular purpose (paying GP surgeries according to the numbers of patients they have who have had certain tests or interventions done, eg advice about stopping smoking, measurement of cholesterol, an HbA1c test for people with diabetes) and which by happy coincidence also tells you many people (over 17) have diabetes (other conditions are available but I work in diabetes charities so that's what I'm after).

Latest QOF figures were published on 28 October http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB15751 and they are published reliably in October every year http://www.hscic.gov.uk/qof

Diabetes statistics bookmarked

We are in the process of updating our 'Diabetes in the UK 2010' document and I thought it was about time I got some of my stats-related bookmarks into a better order. They've rather run away with themselves and hopefully by putting them here I'll be able to work out what it was I was trying to find information on. This is a bit of a mixed bag (by no means complete) as we end up working on different aspects of it. If I find anything bookmark-worthy from my colleagues I'll add it here as well.

EDIT: 2 August 2011 - I've added a few more statistics resources.

If you know of a great resource that I've not put here yet, do give me a prod @JoBrodie ta :)

APHO (Association of Public Health Observatories)

• APHO Diabetes Prevalence Model for England Scotland Wales
• Diabetes Health Intelligence
• Diabetes A-Z
• Diabetes Community Health Profiles
  "In order to locate the PCT profile you require please select a Strategic Health Authority from the dropdown list"
  

Audits and general statistics (see also Children)
National Diabetes Audit
From 2003, latest data collection Sep / Oct 2010, latest report 2009 (background) (other)
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/services/national-clinical-audit-support-programme-ncasp/audit-reports/diabetes

National Diabetes Audit Executive Summary 2008-2009
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/Services/NCASP/audits%20and%20reports/National%20Diabetes%20Audit%20(NDA)%20Executive%20Summary%202008-2009.pdf

NHS Atlas of Variation in Healthcare
http://www.rightcare.nhs.uk/atlas/qipp_nhsAtlas-HIGH_261110c.pdf

NHS IC reports
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/health-and-lifestyles/diabetes

QOF database, example Bradford & Airedale PCT
http://www.gpcontract.co.uk/pct.php?orgcode=5NY (see ‘Search’ tab to select others)
For explanation of what QOF is see http://www.nhsemployers.org/PayAndContracts/GeneralMedicalServicescontract/qof/Pages/QualityOutcomesFramework.aspx and http://www.gpcontract.co.uk/

UK National Statistics – Publication Hub on diabetes topics
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/search/index.html?newquery=diabetes
see also http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/health-social-care/health-of-the-population/conditions-and-diseases/index.html

Benchmarking and commissioning
Diabetes Community Health Profiles
http://yhpho.york.ac.uk/diabetesprofiles/

Diabetes Data Directory
http://yhpho.york.ac.uk/diabetesdd/introddd.asp

lntroduction to the NHS Diabetes Commissioning Resource
http://www.diabetes.nhs.uk/commissioning_resource/

Children
The fifth UK paediatric diabetes services survey: meeting guidelines and recommendations? July 2010 [BMJ abstract] http://adc.bmj.com/content/95/10/837.abstract?etoc

National Diabetes Paediatric Report 2008-2009
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/Services/NCASP/audits%20and%20reports/NDA%20Paediatric%20Report%202008-2009.pdf

National Diabetes Audit
Key findings about the quality of care for children and young people with diabetes in England and Wales Report for the audit period 2007-2008
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/Services/NCASP/audits%20and%20reports/7189_Paediatric_Report_final.pdf

Comorbidities and other conditions
Pregnancy
CEMACH diabetes reports
http://www.cemach.org.uk/Publications-Press-Releases/Report-Publications/Diabetes-in-Pregnancy.aspx

Complications
Amputation
NASDAB: National Amputee Statistical Database (UK) http://www.nasdab.co.uk/
replaced by 'Limbless Statistics' http://www.limbless-statistics.org/
Unfortunately latest report is 2006 / 2007 http://www.limbless-statistics.org/documents/Report2006-07.pdf

Retinopathy
Number of people with diabetes who have received screening for diabetic retinopathy in England http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/Performancedataandstatistics/Vitalsignsmonitoring/DH_112536

English National Screening Programme for Diabetic Retinopathy (ENSPDR)
http://www.retinalscreening.nhs.uk/pages/

Four Nations involvement http://www.retinalscreening.nhs.uk/pages/default.asp?id=2&sID=75

2010 Annual Evidence Update on Diabetic Retinopathy - Screening for diabetic retinopathy (methodologies)
http://www.library.nhs.uk/Diabetes/ViewResource.aspx?resID=387102

NHS Evidence – diabetes: Retinopathy>Causes, Risk Factors and Screening
http://www.library.nhs.uk/DIABETES/SearchResults.aspx?tabID=290&summaries=true&resultsPerPage=10&sort=PUBLICATION_DATE&catID=5659&

Critical appraisal info
Statistics at Square One
http://resources.bmj.com/bmj/readers/statistics-at-square-one/

General
NIDDK: Diabetes populations across the US
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/populations/index.htm

IDF (International Diabetes Federation): Diabetes Atlas
http://www.diabetesatlas.org/

Labour Force Survey: Employment status by occupation and sex
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/product.asp?vlnk=14248

National Statistics: Population Trends Spring 2008, No 131
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/Population_Trends_131_web.pdf

NatCen (National Centre for Social Research)
http://www.natcen.ac.uk/

NHS Evidence – diabetes (see also Treatments)
http://www.library.nhs.uk/diabetes/

Office for National Statistics
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/default.asp

NeLM search for diabetes
National electronic Library for Medicines
http://www.nelm.nhs.uk/en/Original-search/?query=diabetes+

Health surveys
Health Survey for England
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/health-and-lifestyles-related-surveys/health-survey-for-england

Health Survey for England - 2008 summary of key findings
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/HSE/HSE08/HSE_08_Summary_of_key_findings.pdf

Health Survey for England - 2008 trend tables
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hse08trends and
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/HSE/HSE08trends/Health_Survey_for_england_trend_tables_2008.pdf

Health Survey for England - 2008: Physical activity and fitness
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/health-and-lifestyles-related-surveys/health-survey-for-england/health-survey-for-england--2008-physical-activity-and-fitness

Hospital admissions
Clinical and Health Outcomes Knowledge Base
Emergency hospital admissions: diabetic ketoacidosis and coma
http://www.nchod.nhs.uk/NCHOD/compendium.nsf/17b8958892856d44802573a30020fcd9/56303822d72c4ef9652570d1001cb767!OpenDocument

Nation-specific
Scotland
http://www.diabetesinscotland.org.uk/Publications.aspx

Wales
http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/index.cfm?Error=200

Standards
National service framework for diabetes: standards
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4002951

[Report] Turning the Corner: Improving Diabetes Care (2006)
http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4136011.pdf

[Report] Six Years On Delivering the Diabetes National Service Framework (2010)
http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_112511.pdf

Treatment
Insulin pumps
Scotland only
Appendix 2 Table of NHS Board planned investment in Insulin Pump Therapy
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/08/17095311/10
Judging from the Hansard reports (via TheyWorkForYou) retinopathy screening seems to be discussed more by Parliament in relation to Scotland http://www.theyworkforyou.com/search/?s=retinopathy+screening

NHS Scotland: Figures are for patients with Type 1 diabetes receiving insulin pump therapy as of August 2009
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/spwrans/?id=2010-06-14.S3W-34132.h&s=insulin+pump#gS3W-34132.q0

YHPHO Insulin pump audit (2010)
http://www.yhpho.org.uk/resource/item.aspx?RID=91531

DUETS
Uncertainties about the Effects of Treatments
http://www.library.nhs.uk/DIABETES/ViewResource.aspx?resID=392331&tabID=289

NHS Evidence - UK Database of Uncertainties about the Effects of Treatments (DUETs)
http://www.library.nhs.uk/duets/SearchResults.aspx?catID=14514

Prescription costs
Prescription Cost Analysis 2008
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/prescriptions/prescription-cost-analysis-2008

• Prescription cost analysis: England 1998
• Northern Ireland prescription stats 2008
• NHS Scotland Prescription Cost Analysis for financial year 2007/08
• Wales 2008

Prescribing for Diabetes in England: Supplement – January 2002 to March 2009
NHS IC – all prescription information

ABPI: Facts & Statistics from the pharmaceutical industry
Pharmaceuticals and the UK economy

NHS Information Centre report finds a 40% rise in cost and number of prescriptions to treat diabetes in England over the last 5 years (July 2010)
http://www.nelm.nhs.uk/en/NeLM-Area/News/2010---July/30/NHS-Information-Centre-report-finds-a-40-rise-in-cost-and-number-of-prescriptions-to-treat-diabetes-in-England-over-the-last-5-years/

GPRD: Drug Utilisation & Disease Patterns
http://www.gprd.com/services/drugutilisation.asp
(don’t think I can access this but haven’t spent a lot of time on it)

Drug Topics 2010 (US)
2009 Top 200 generic drugs by total prescriptions
http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.com/drugtopics/data/articlestandard//drugtopics/252010/674982/article.pdf

Parking a comment here for the science training in journalism blog

Typed this up earlier and posted it but I don't think it was successful in getting through (as in I think the system lost it rather than it being rejected, as I didn't get the little announcement telling me it was awaiting moderation) so parking it here and will try again tomorrow.

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Response to Getting started at the Science Training for Journalists blog

Congrats on the job, hope it goes well - it sounds really interesting.

Your list looks pretty good but I was also wondering if you'll have much of an opportunity to do some sort of ethnographic-y / situated thing with the journalists - finding out what their working lives are like and how likely it is that they'll be to be able to take up courses and learning opportunities.

I've no experience of journalism myself so no idea if they'd find it easy to turn up to an evening event (eg Stempra have run at least one after-work stats course run by David Spiegelhalter - it was great) or if it should be a day thing. Or if getting time out of the office is as difficult as it often is for healthcare professionals who might have to rearrange clinics / patient visits etc. Are those webinar type things likely to be useful, or things like Slideshare and even YouTube videos?

Also how is your role viewed among non-specialist journalists? Does everyone think 'thank goodness, someone's doing something practical and useful' or are people a bit miffed at the implications that they're struggling with science and stats etc?

There are a couple of organisations with an interest in the good reporting of health-related science that might be of use. The Patient Information Forum (PiF, http://www.pifonline.org.uk/) is an independent organisation for consumer health professionals. I wrote about an event I attended which they organised, called "Healthy journalism - challenges and solutions" (http://brodiesnotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/healthy-journalism-challenges-and.html), but those are just my rambling thoughts so I wouldn't give too much weight to them ;-)

The other is the AMRC (Association of Medical Research Charities, http://www.amrc.org.uk/home) which is an umbrella organisation for about 100 health charities that fund medical research and support patients. I think all of those
charities will be approached by patients asking about treatments or discussions of their disease mentioned in the newspapers etc. I expect they'll have a particular interest in how the reporting of that sort of thing goes.

This is probably a bit of a crap idea but I was thinking of some sort of online chat / discussion forum, perhaps where people can ask and answer questions, either a regular live-chat thing, or a repository of knowledge built up from previous questions. Something a bit like "I'm a scientist get me out of here" but obviously private. An online 'stats surgery' perhaps. I'm not sure I'm explaining it very clearly!

I also think Trisha Greenhalgh's book 'How to read a paper' is very good (I should probably check and see if it's already listed in your resources) not just for the numerical side of things but for the real world questions that are very useful, such as "was this drug tested in a representative sample?" - the 'reading between the lines' stuff, pointing out what hasn't been made explicit but might be relevant.

Wishing you well,
Jo

PACT data - very small blogpost for @Tiamat_R and @amcunningham

Prescribing Analysis and Cost Tabulation (PACT data), 2008, for the four nations. Presumably there's 2009 data but this is what I came across.

General prescribing information
NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care.
PACT Data for England.
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/default.asp?sID=1172577414129&sPublicationID=1239718155461&sDocID=4973

NHS Northern Ireland.
PACT Data for Northern Ireland.
http://www.centralservicesagency.com/files/statistics/file/PCT2008.xls

NHS Scotland.
PACT Data for Scotland.
http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=PCA%202008.xls

NHS Wales.
PACT Data for Wales.
http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/docopen.cfm?orgid=428&id=117449&A03B1E2D-1143-E756-5CD9AAFEAC8087BD

Diabetes-specific prescribing data
Prescribing for Diabetes in England: Supplement - January 2002 to March 2009
Publication date September 15, 2009
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/prescriptions/prescribing-for-diabetes-in-england:-supplement--january-2002-to-march-2009
which is a supplement taking account of data up to March 2009 and published in September 2009.

Prescribing for Diabetes in England – An Update 2002-2008
An analysis of volume, expenditure and trends.
Publication date June 2009
http://www.yhpho.org.uk/resource/view.aspx?RID=9711

Prescribing for Diabetes in England
An analysis of volume, expenditure and trends
November 2007
http://www.yhpho.org.uk/resource/view.aspx?RID=45983

Prescribing for Diabetes in England - Interactive Map
(Revised version June 2009)
http://www.yhpho.org.uk/resource/item.aspx?RID=9714
or jump straight there http://www.yhpho.org.uk/atlas/dcosts/singlemap/atlas.html

General diabetes stats info, for the UK
Diabetes Community Health Profiles
http://www.yhpho.org.uk/diabetesprofiles.aspx

"The Diabetes Community Health Profiles bring together a wide range of data on
diabetes in adults into a single source for the purposes of benchmarking. The
tool allows you to download a diabetes profile for each PCT in England.

In order to locate the PCT profile you require please select a Strategic
Health Authority from the dropdown list. The tool will then generate a list of
PCTs within that Strategic Health Authority."

YHPHO*: Diabetes A-Z (rather useful)
http://www.yhpho.org.uk/default.aspx?RID=8468
*(Yorkshire & Public Health Observatory - I pronounce it yiffo myself...)

Diabetes Data Directory
Signposting to data sources relevant to diabetes.
http://yhpho.york.ac.uk/diabetesdd/introddd.asp

I'm still a bit rubbish at stats

I seem to suffer from a bit of a mental block with statistics, despite being a fan of Ben Goldacre, reading around the subject and attending classes on it. For some reason even though I can grasp it when I am in the middle of learning it, the knowledge seeps out at an alarming rate. I more or less have to start from scratch whenever I meet a new article.

Hopeless. But let's remember all the other things I'm good at :) Peculiarly I managed to get a first in statistics at university (though this was a modular exam at first year level and open book at that) but have really let the side down since then.

Abstracts don't help, writing things in a very paragraphy sort of way when what I really need is to see things written out line by line...

Effect of Valsartan on the Incidence of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Events
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/362/16/1477

Results The cumulative incidence of diabetes was 33.1% in the valsartan group, as compared with 36.8% in the placebo group (hazard ratio in the valsartan group, 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 0.92; P (less than) 0.001).> placebo, did not significantly reduce the incidence of either the extended cardiovascular outcome (14.5% vs. 14.8%; hazard ratio, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.86 to 1.07; P=0.43) or the core cardiovascular outcome (8.1% vs. 8.1%; hazard ratio, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.86 to 1.14; P=0.85).

But what I need is something more like this:

Results
The cumulative incidence of diabetes was 33.1% in the valsartan group,
as compared with 36.8% in the placebo group
(hazard ratio in the valsartan group, 0.86;
95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 0.92;
P<0.001). p="0.43)" p="0.85).

Conclusions Among patients with impaired glucose tolerance and cardiovascular disease or risk factors, the use of valsartan for 5 years, along with lifestyle modification, led to a relative reduction of 14% in the incidence of diabetes but did not reduce the rate of cardiovascular events. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00097786 [ClinicalTrials.gov].)

Actually that still doesn't help very much, I'm still a bit at sea. At this point I try applying mathematical functions to some of the available figures (basically dividing one number by another) to see if I get anywhere. I'm vaguely cheered to have spotted that 0.96 might be related to 14%...

If it's any help, I'm useless at reading maps too though I am very good at writing instructions - and delighted to hear that Mark Miodownik's lovely programme "How to write an instruction manual" has been uploaded to the @Speechification vault.

Is there an online journal club for remedial stats?