About

The CTAD Chlamydia Surveillance System is the mandatorynew surveillancename systemfor for chlamydia andthe collectsChlamydia Testing Activity Dataset (CTAD).

CTAD Chlamydia Surveillance System data onis allused publiclyto commissionedprovide chlamydiadetailed testingreports fromat laboratoriesnational inand England.local CTADlevels ison anscreening electronic,coverage, pseudonymisedthe proportion of chlamydia tests that are positive and depersonalisedthe datachlamydia set.detection rate in England.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) uses chlamydia data combined from the CTAD Chlamydia Surveillance System and the GUMCAD the GUMCAD STI Surveillance Surveillance System to to report chlamydia testing activityactivity.

CTAD andbecame tomandatory monitorin theApril National2012, Chlamydiareplacing Screeningthe ProgrammeNCSP (and the non-NCSP non-GUM (NNNG).

How todata submitsources CTADof chlamydia data from non-specialist sexual health services (SHSs). These changes mean that data for 2012 onwards are not directly comparable with the data reported in earlier years.

Resources

Technical guidance and dataset specifications for laboratories submitting data setin specificationscompliance arewith availablethe at:Standardisation Committee for Care Information (SCCI).

CTAD specification and technical guidance

Commissioning laboratory testing

GuidanceUKHSA onencourages datacommissioners, submissionproviders requirementsand forlaboratories servicesto providingwork self-samplingtogether teststo ensure that the data for sexuallylocal transmittedCTAD infectionsreturns (STIs)are cancomplete. beUKHSA foundhas at:developed information and other resources to help the commissioning of chlamydia activity data collection.

CTAD commissioning guidance, 2015 update

CTAD data quality

As with any surveillance system, CTAD data quality is vital. Reporting high quality data through CTAD is key to informing local sexual health service planning, assessing the impact of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) and monitoring progress towards the Public Health Outcomes Framework chlamydia diagnosis rate indicator.

The CTAD data validation process identified 2 main issues that affect local authority level chlamydia data:

• postcode of residence to ensure tests and diagnoses are assigned to the correct local authority
• testing service type to minimise double-counting between CTAD and GUMCAD and CTADand to correctly monitor testing carried out in different settings

Improving data submissionaccuracy for and completeness will improve the quality of data for different service types.

CTAD data resubmission

Laboratories are encouraged to resubmit CTAD data for any period (including 2012) to the HIV and STI self-sampling Web servicesPortal when there has been an improvement in the data quality and completeness since the original submission. This data will be available to registered portal users. Any data resubmitted will be reflected in the next annual data release.

When

Important points to submit CTAD datanote:

• resubmissions of data will overwrite any previous submissions received
• as usual, any updates to data must be submitted as a quarter (specifically files for individual quarters must be uploaded, rather than one file for multiple quarters)
• labs should inform the CTAD team they intend to resubmit updated retrospective data, prior to uploading it

Submission and reporting deadlines

Where

Resubmissions tocan accessbe chlamydiadone surveillanceanytime, please contact CTAD in advance.

Accessing CTAD data

ChlamydiaInformation surveillanceon datachlamydia and service provision in England is subjectavailable toon:

• STIs strictand screening for chlamydia in England annual report, NCSP data sharingtables, infographic and publicationslide rulesset (particularlyat regardingnational smalland numbers)regional outlinedlevel
• chlamydia inre-testing the UKHSA HIV and STI datafollowing publicationa guidelinespositive diagnosis.
  report

Information on chlamydiaand testsguidance on sexual and diagnosesreproductive inhealth Englandat isnational availableand inlocal aauthority varietylevel ofis outputs.available on:

National

• Sexual Chlamydiaand ScreeningReproductive ProgrammeHealth annualProfiles datafor tables

  Theseinteractive officialmaps, statisticscharts presentand informationtables

• Sexual on chlamydiahealth, testingreproductive health and diagnosesHIV in peopleEngland: ageda 15guide to 24local yearsand innational Englanddata byfor demographicguidance characteristicsto andhelp geographicalhealth region.

  Sexualprofessionals understand the sexual health data available across England and Reproductivehow to access it

• Wider Impacts of COVID-19 on Health Profiles(WICH) monitoring tool

  These provideis localdesigned authorityto areaallow datayou onto STIexplore and HIV diagnosesthe andindirect serviceseffects throughof interactivethe mapsCOVID-19 andpandemic charts.

  HIV and STI Webon Portal

  Thesethe arepopulation’s restricted-accesshealth and wellbeing

Restricted-access reports for monitoring local, regional and national chlamydiasexual screeninghealth trends.priorities They are accessibleavailable toon registeredthe HIV and STI Web Portal (registered NHS and local authority users only.only):

Sexual

• local health,authority reproductiveSTI healthand and HIV in England
  epidemiology reports
• GUMCAD STI diagnoses and services reports
• CTAD data quality reports
• NCSP quarterly data tables
• chlamydia re-testing following a positive diagnosis report

ThisThe guideprinciples isfor toaccessing, helpstoring localand government,sharing serviceCTAD providersdata andis commissionersgiven understandin the sexualUKHSA HIV and reproductiveSTI healthdata publication guidelines.

Guidance on data availablesubmission acrossrequirements Englandfor andservices howproviding theself-sampling tests for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

GUMCAD and CTAD data cansubmission befor STI self-sampling accessed.services

CTAD data requests 

Aggregate CTAD data can be requested by completing the the CTAD data request form and and sending this to to ctad@ukhsa.gov.uk 

DataThe requestsdata mayteam takewill 20aim workingto daysprovide tothe completedata (theywithin 2 weeks but this may takebe longer during busybusier periods).periods such as after the annual data release.

UKHSA sexual sexual health and and HIV privacy privacy information

UKHSA’s The sexual health and and HIV privacy privacy information explains guidance  explains the de-personalised data we collect, how we use it and how we protect this information.

Changes since 2012 in the chlamydia data

Since the Information Standard (ISB 1538) was approved in 2011 by the Information Standards Board for Health and Social Care (ISB), a number of amendments to the dataset are required to reflect changes in health boundaries and service delivery and improve data quality. This Information Standard has been revised to include one new item, an additional coding option within an existing item and retirement of one item. In addition, there are some minor changes to the NHS Data Dictionary coding options to 2 existing data items. These changes have now been accepted by the Standardisation Committee for Care Information (SCCI) – the standard is SCCI1538.

Contact information

For further informationinformation, orincluding to request access permission to the the HIV and  and STI Web Web Portal, please contact the CTAD teamhelpdesk at at ctad@ukhsa.gov.uk