The Department of Health is conducting an audit to see whether accident and emergency departments are collecting and sharing de-personalised data on violent assault with local partners. The audit determines levels of engagement with information sharing and the extent to which data sharing has become standard practice in A&Es. The audit is mandatory for all acute trusts including foundation trusts.
Recent government strategies on alcohol and gang violence have reinforced the commitment, which is a key part of the government programme. The audit will help to assess how far the commitment has been achieved.
The A&E data sharing audit should be completed by an A&E member of staff who is familiar with the working of the A&E department, data collection procedures used, and who is aware of whether work is or is not being carried out in relation to data sharing with partner agencies.