A statistical comparison between OPCRD and nationally published NHS datasets
Introduction ā
The Optimum Patient Care Research Database (OPCRD) is an enhanced UK Primary care, Electronic Healthcare Record (EHR) derived, longitudinal patient database containing records from across the UK (Figure 1). As an offering of Optimum Patient Care (OPC), a not-for-profit social enterprise, the database contributes to the company’s mission of supporting ethical and quality research and providing real-world evidence on patient outcomes, clinical practices, and treatment patterns. The database is generally representative of the UK population, as evidenced by comparisons of key demographics, disease prevalence, and prescribing metrics to nationally published datasets, including Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) data.
Geographic Distribution
At the time of comparison, OPCRD has received contributions from 1,179 GP practices across the UK, extracting from SystmOne, EMIS and Vision clinical systems.
Figure 1. Geographical Coverage of Practices on OPCRD.
Figure 1, showing practice distribution, and Figure 2, showing patient distribution, both serve to illustrate the spread of patients and practices across the UK, showing a broad coverage across regions and the three-nations.
Figure 2. Geographical Coverage of Patients on OPCRD.
The table below (Figure 3) compares the geographical distribution of patient list sizes between the NHS and OPCRD. This demonstrates OPCRD’s broad and its general representative coverage of the UK population, with appropriate representation across regions.
UK RegionĀ | Nationwide Patient Count[1] | % of Nationwide Total | OPCRD Patient Count | % of OPCRD Total | OPCRD Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 2,113,360 | 2.90% | 454,623 | 3.80% | +0.9% |
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 2,816,696 | 3.90% | 430,313 | 3.60% | -0.3% |
Cheshire | 1,046,599 | 1.40% | 220,771 | 1.80% | +0.4% |
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly | 606,416 | 0.80% | 59,528 | 0.50% | -0.3% |
Cumbria | 485,306 | 0.70% | 76,167 | 0.60% | Equal |
Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 2,411,543 | 3.30% | 234,719 | 2.00% | -1.4% |
Devon | 1,298,178 | 1.80% | 261,858 | 2.20% | +0.4% |
Dorset and Somerset | 608,448 | 0.80% | 61,013 | 0.50% | -0.3% |
East Anglia | 2,820,504 | 3.90% | 964,288 | 8.00% | +4.2% |
East Wales | 1,246,730 | 1.70% | 138,031 | 1.20% | -0.6% |
East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 1,004,678 | 1.40% | 339,122 | 2.80% | +1.4% |
Eastern Scotland | 2,118,697 | 2.90% | 119,915 | 1.00% | -1.9% |
Essex | 1,998,858 | 2.70% | 303,511 | 2.50% | -0.2% |
Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bath/Bristol area | 2,794,978 | 3.80% | 542,043 | 4.50% | +0.7% |
Greater Manchester | 3,286,438 | 4.50% | 302,849 | 2.50% | -2.0% |
Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 2,166,400 | 3.00% | 610,973 | 5.10% | +2.1% |
Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 1,477,092 | 2.00% | 207,301 | 1.70% | -0.3% |
Highlands and Islands | 467,258 | 0.60% | 23,036 | 0.20% | -0.5% |
Inner London - East | 2,969,535 | 4.10% | 345,798 | 2.90% | -1.2% |
Inner London - West | 1,648,942 | 2.30% | 110,248 | 0.90% | -1.3% |
Kent | 2,021,733 | 2.80% | 293,093 | 2.40% | -0.3% |
Lancashire | 1,672,096 | 2.30% | 231,998 | 1.90% | -0.4% |
Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 2,108,548 | 2.90% | 670,647 | 5.60% | +2.7% |
Lincolnshire | 813,843 | 1.10% | 128,266 | 1.10% | Equal |
Merseyside | 1,732,796 | 2.40% | 197,481 | 1.60% | -0.7% |
North Eastern Scotland | 421,129 | 0.60% | 122,880 | 1.00% | +0.4% |
North Yorkshire | 834,521 | 1.10% | 339,800 | 2.80% | +1.7% |
Northumberland and Tyne and Wear | 1,586,850 | 2.20% | 228,647 | 1.90% | -0.3% |
Outer London - East and North East | 2,217,870 | 3.10% | 184,291 | 1.50% | -1.5% |
Outer London - South | 1,484,993 | 2.00% | 88,992 | 0.70% | -1.3% |
Outer London - West and North West | 2,710,962 | 3.70% | 235,341 | 2.00% | -1.8% |
Shropshire and Staffordshire | 1,718,683 | 2.40% | 763,170 | 6.40% | +4.0% |
South Yorkshire | 1,531,485 | 2.10% | 273,723 | 2.30% | +0.2% |
Southern Scotland | 987,742 | 1.40% | 3,965 | 0.00% | -1.3% |
Surrey, East and West Sussex | 3,173,661 | 4.40% | 508,964 | 4.20% | -0.1% |
Tees Valley and Durham | 1,307,901 | 1.80% | 168,914 | 1.40% | -0.4% |
Unmapped | 1,190,638 | 1.60% | 309,906 | 2.60% | +0.9% |
West Central Scotland | 1,660,283 | 2.30% | 1,871 | 0.00% | -2.3% |
West Midlands | 3,420,049 | 4.70% | 426,975 | 3.60% | -1.1% |
West Wales and The Valleys | 2,045,721 | 2.80% | 82,508 | 0.70% | -2.1% |
West Yorkshire | 2,677,226 | 3.70% | 921,146 | 7.70% | +4.0% |
Total | 61,711,469 | 100% | 10,246,279 | 100% | - |
Methodology and demographics
āTo assess the representativeness of OPCRD, key demographic, clinical and prescribing metrics from OPCRD were compared with national datasets, including QOF. Comparisons were conducted using data from November 2024. Age and gender are also directly compared against NHS patients in Figure 5, showing close alignment with NHS data.
Patients were evaluated in this report using the following categories:
• Total: All patients in OPCRD.
• Active: All patients in OPCRD with a registered status and data extracted in the last 12 months.
Figure 4. Total Patient Count Per Status Group
Figure 5. Comparison of patient gender and age between NHS and OPCRD.
Disease Prevalence Comparison
The prevalence rates of key chronic diseases within OPCRD are consistent with national benchmarks, as can be seen in Figure 6, measured directly against QOF.
Figure 6. QOF and OPCRD comparison of medical conditions.
AF - Atrial Fibrillation
AST - Asthma
CAN - Cancer
CHD - Coronary Heart Disease
CKD - Chronic Kidney Disease
COPD - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
DEM - Dementia
DEP - Depression
DM - Diabetes Mellitus
EP - Epilepsy
HF - Heart Failure
HYP - Hypertension
LD - Learning Disabilities
MH - Mental Health (severe mental illness)
NDH - Non-Diabetic Hyperglycaemia
OB - Obesity
OST - Osteoporosis
PAD - Peripheral Arterial Disease
PC - Palliative Care
RA - Rheumatoid Arthritis
STIA - Stroke and Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA)
Prescribing Comparison
OPCRD was compared against NHS prescribing data, and examined trends in medication usage, prescribing patterns, and adherence to clinical guidelines across different practices and patient demographics. The following categories were analysed (data on file if requested):
• Gastro-Intestinal System
• Cardiovascular System
• Respiratory System
• Central Nervous System
• Infections
• Endocrine System
• Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Urinary-Tract Disorders
• Malignant Disease and Immunosuppression
• Nutrition and Blood
• Musculoskeletal and Joint Disease
• Eye
• Ear, Nose and Oropharynx (Figure 7)
• Skin
• Immunological Products and Vaccines
• Anaesthesia
• Preparations used in Diagnosis
• Other Drugs and Preparations
• Dressings
• Appliances (Figure 8)
• Incontinence Appliances
• Stoma Appliances
Figure 7. A comparative analysis of NHS prescribing data against OPCRD data, in relation to Ear, Nose and Oropharynx prescriptions.
Figure 8. A comparative analysis of NHS prescribing data against OPCRD data, in relation to Appliances.
Conclusion
The comparison of OPCRD data with national datasets demonstrates that OPCRD is generally representative of the UK population. The database’s comprehensive geographical coverage, data completeness, and consistency in key demographical, clinical, and disease prevalence variables make it a robust resource for real-world healthcare research. The alignment with QOF benchmarks further evidences the suitability of OPCRD for population-level studies and clinical outcome evaluations.
First published June 2025