Severe Acute Respiratory Infection
Hospital admissions and critical care surveillance scheme for severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), such as those caused by coronavirus and influenza.
Contents
About this standard
- Publisher
- NHS England
- Also known as
- SARI
- SARI - Watch surveillance system
- Reference code
- DAPB2043 Amd 1/2026
- Publication date
- 21 April 2026
- Status
- Active
Show definitions of statuses
Active. Active standards are stable, maintained and have been approved, assured or endorsed for use by qualified bodies.
Deprecated Deprecated standards are available for use and are maintained, but are being phased out, so new functionality will not be added.
Retired standards Retired standards are not being maintained or supported and should not be used.
- Standard type
- Collections
Show definitions of standard types
Collections. A Collection is a systematic gathering of a specified selection of data or information for a particular stated purpose from existing records held within health and care systems and electronic devices.
Extractions. An extraction is a type of collection that is pulled from an operational system by the data controller and transmitted to the receiver without additional processing or transcription by the sender.
Information standards. Information standards are agreed ways of doing something, written down as a set of precise criteria so they can be used as rules, guidelines, or definitions.
Technical Standards and specifications. Technical standards and specifications specify how to make information available technically including how the data is structured and transported.
- Contact point
england.standards.assurance@nhs.net
Using this standard
- Effective from
- 21 April 2026
Topics and care settings
- Topic
- Data definitions and terminologies
Review Information
- Contributor
- UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
- Approval date
- 21 April 2026
- Technical Committee
Data Assurance Board (DAB)
More information
This change request is to renew the approval the SARI Watch surveillance system mandatory collection components beyond March 2023. There are reductions in the requested data as we have moved into the Living with COVID phase of the pandemic.
Changes April 2026 COVID-19 aggregate weekly counts: • Operational period will be reduced to Oct-May to reduce burden, unless a national COVID-19 incident declared Influenza aggregate weekly counts: • Piloting of mandatory reporting for one winter season (Oct 26-May 27). Data has been collected voluntarily since 2011 (~25% of trusts).Page last updated: 18 June 2026