The Office for Statistics Regulation is delighted to announce the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) as winner of the Award for Statistical Excellence in Trustworthiness, Quality and Value, awarded in partnership with the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) and Civil Service World.
There is also a highly commended award for the UK Health Security Agency (a previous winner in 2022 for their COVID-19 dashboard).
This is the fifth award to recognise excellence in the voluntary application of the ‘pillars’ of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value (TQV) that stand at the heart of our Code of Practice for Statistics.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) launched what is thought to be the first fertility dashboard of its kind in the world. The dashboard presents the world’s most comprehensive IVF database, with customisable UK-wide data dating back 30 years from the HFEA’s national fertility register in an accessible format on the HFEA website. This presents complex information in a straightforward and simple to understand manner, supporting people in making sensitive and highly personal decisions.
Peter Thompson, Chief Executive of the HFEA, said:
“We’re delighted that the HFEA dashboard has won this year’s Trustworthiness, Quality & Value award. Our dashboard, which we believe to be the first of its kind in the world, is designed to provide impartial information in an easy-to-use format to help inform the many difficult decisions around fertility treatment. This award is a real tribute to the quality of work of our expert team at the HFEA and a recognition of the huge interest in UK fertility data. The HFEA will continue to build on the work recognised by this award and enable the public, clinicians and researchers to access the data we collect.”
Ed Humpherson, Director General for Regulation said:
“The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is a worthy winner and has created an innovative product for people interested in accessing and using this important data. We were also pleased to highly commend the UK Health Security Agency entry, to recognise their latest work to publish priority UKHSA data and trends.”
Sam Organ, Data Operations Director of the UK Health Security Agency said:
“Our team are delighted to have been highly commended for delivering a trusted, high quality and valuable data service to our users. Our data dashboard puts accessibility and automation at the heart of its design. This approach has been instrumental in helping people use data to drive health security decisions and is an excellent tribute to what UKHSA can achieve through cross-Agency collaboration. I would like to thank colleagues from across UKHSA for delivering such a successful service with important cost savings.”
1. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) dashboard offers access to UK-wide data dating back 30 years from the HFEA’s national fertility register in an accessible format on the HFEA website. The dashboard displays information on fertility treatments such as egg freezing and birth rates, patients, partners, donors and children born as a result of these treatments. This includes around 1.5 million IVF and 270,000 donor insemination treatments undertaken by around 665,000 patients since 1991. Read the full case study on the project.
2. In September 2023, the UKHSA developed and launched the new UKHSA data dashboard, saving £5M and reaching 69k users. Building on the success of the award winning COVID-19 dashboard, they have enhanced accessibility, quality, automation, and user centred design to publish information in a transparent and timely fashion. This provides a cost-effective, sustainable, and scalable solution for an enduring public dashboard, acting as a vehicle for publishing priority UKHSA data and trends. This cross-Agency team worked to develop this service through user testing, presenting data in a simple, trustworthy, inclusive, and valuable way. Read the full case study on the project.
3. The TQV Award (formerly the Voluntary Application Award), will happen again in 2025, and information on how to apply will be available early next year. Judged by an expert judging panel, the winner is announced as part of the RSS’s annual Statistical Excellence Awards. Entrants will need to demonstrate how they meet each of the following criteria:
- A stated commitment to applying TQV in producing and sharing their information;
- Examples of how TQV have been applied to innovate or improve their information or processes; and
- A demonstration of how public value has been enhanced by their application of the pillars.
4. Voluntary application of the Code is for any producer of data, statistics and analysis which are not official statistics, whether inside government or beyond, to help them produce analytical outputs that are high quality, useful for supporting decisions, and well respected. For more information about the Code of Practice, a list of the organisations that have already made a public commitment to VA and how it can be applied please visit the online Code.
5. The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) provides independent regulation of all official statistics produced in the UK, and aim to enhance public confidence in the trustworthiness, quality and value of statistics produced by government. OSR regulate statistics by setting the standards official statistics must meet in the Code of Practice for Statistics. We ensure that producers of official statistics uphold these standards by conducting assessments against the Code. Those which meet the standards are given Accredited Official Statistics status, indicating that they meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and value. We also report publicly on systemwide issues and on the way that statistics are being used, celebrating when the standards are upheld and challenging publicly when they are not.
OSR is independent from government Ministers, and separate from producers of statistics, including the Office for National Statistics (ONS). OSR’s Director General, Ed Humpherson, reports directly to the Chair of the UK Statistics Authority Board, Sir Robert Chote. The Director General, and OSR, have wide discretion in highlighting good practice and reporting concerns with the production and use of statistics publicly.
OSR’s work is overseen by the Board’s regulation committee (made up of non-executive directors, and with no statistical producer in attendance). OSR’s budget is proposed by the Board’s regulation committee and endorsed by the Board.
6. The Royal Statistical Society (RSS), founded in 1834, is one of the world’s most distinguished and renowned statistical societies. It is a learned society for statistics, a professional body for statisticians and a charity which promotes statistics, data and evidence for the public good. Today the RSS has around 10,000 members around the world.