Interim findings

This page provides an evolving descriptive view of information collected through ASCEND’s two linked surveys: the Individual Clinician Survey and the Service | Team Survey.

As data collection progresses, selected aggregated and disclosure-controlled information will be presented through an interactive Power BI report and supporting snapshot visualisations. Each visualisation will identify which survey information it represents. No patient-level information, clinicians’ names, service names or other direct identifiers will be displayed.

The interactive report will allow visitors to explore selected information using the available filters and controls. Snapshot visualisations will highlight particular aspects of the developing dataset and provide an accessible alternative.

These visualisations are provisional, partial and descriptive. They should not be interpreted as final findings or as evidence of safe or unsafe staffing, workload or caseload until data collection, validation, statistical analysis and triangulation have been completed.

The surveys collect complementary information at individual and service level. This includes reported measures of patient and caseload complexity, workforce capacity, caseloads, clinical and non-clinical activity, service characteristics, working practices, workload pressures and experiences of safety and sustainability. The information displayed here is therefore drawn from responses provided directly through these surveys; it is not derived from individual patient records or a separate clinical dataset. Equally, no identifiable clinician nor clinical team identifiable data is collected nor provided.

Only selected, aggregated and disclosure-controlled information will be displayed. Individual contributors and participating services will not be identified, and the public report will not contain respondent-level data, confidential linkage codes or free-text responses.

Please interpret this information with caution

The visualisations are interim, partial, descriptive and provisional. They reflect the checked responses available on the date shown and represent only selected parts of the developing dataset. They are not final ASCEND findings, staffing benchmarks or recommendations.

The material should therefore not be interpreted as final ASCEND findings, staffing benchmarks or recommendations.

While data collection remains open:

• the number and composition of responses will continue to change;
• participation may be uneven across professional and service groups;
• responses may be incomplete, corrected or updated;
• different visualisations may use different numbers of valid responses; and
• validation may identify duplicate, inconsistent, ineligible or erroneous entries.

Figures and apparent patterns may therefore change following further data collection, validation, statistical analysis and triangulation with other relevant information.

Any apparent difference, trend or association is preliminary and may reflect chance, small numbers, uneven participation, missing information, unusual values or factors not represented in the visualisation. It should not be assumed to be causal or representative, and the absence of a visible pattern does not establish that no relationship exists. Interpretation may change following validation, statistical analysis and triangulation. Interim material must not be used independently for local benchmarking, service comparisons or as final ASCEND evidence.

Averages and unusual values

Averages can conceal variation and may be influenced by small numbers of unusually high or low responses. These values may represent genuine differences between caseloads, service models or patient complexity, but they may also reflect misunderstanding or data-entry error.

Unusual values will therefore be reviewed through range, consistency and plausibility checks rather than excluded automatically. Where appropriate, the final analysis will consider medians, distributions, ranges and sensitivity analyses alongside means.

Why interim information is being shared

Sharing selected descriptive information allows contributors to see how responses are helping to build the wider evidence base and supports transparency and engagement during data collection. The date of the relevant data extract or report update will be shown with each visualisation.

Final findings and evidence-based recommendations will be published only after data collection has closed and the information has been validated, analysed and triangulated. These interim views are not a substitute for that complete analysis.

Using interim material

These visualisations are provided to support transparency and engagement during data collection. They are not final ASCEND findings and should not be cited or used as evidence in research, reviews, publications, presentations, workforce proposals or wider healthcare debate.

Please link to this page so that the visualisations remain with their explanatory context. Individual visualisations should not be reproduced, republished or adapted without prior written permission. Final findings suitable for formal reference will be published following data validation and completion of the planned analysis.

Interim visualisations

Selected visualisations will appear below once sufficient responses have been received to permit responsible, disclosure-controlled presentation. Each will show the data-extract date and last-updated date; the information may change as data collection continues and responses are completed or revised..

The ASCEND surveys are now open and will remain available until 30 November 2026.

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