NBOCA COVID-19 Statement

Current anticipated implications of COVID-19 to NBOCA.

Given the current situation, the NBOCA audit team will work to avoid activities that put a burden on front line staff. The immediate consequences of this approach are that the organisational survey and the final data submission for Clinical Outcomes Publication (COP) will be delayed. The 2020 Annual Report will be published as planned, but it may be that the delay to data checking for COP will affect the quality of data submitted. We anticipate that this will have a relatively small impact on the overall results, but this will be investigated and taken into account.

NBOCA will no longer require services to upload for the submission deadline on 30 April. A final data extract for the annual report will still be taken on 30 April to capture any updates to the data since the last extract in January 2020. We anticipate that removing the requirement for trusts to meet the final data submission deadline will have a relatively small impact on the overall results, but this will also be explored.

It may be possible for us to take a data extract later in the year so there may be further opportunity to upload treatment data. We will inform you of the details closer to the time.

We will continue to review what other implications COVID-19 has for the audit and will keep you informed.