National Study of Health and Wellbeing: FAQs

How did you choose my address?

We chose your address at random from the Postcode Address File. This file is held by the Post Office and is available to the public.

Who do you want to interview?

We will interview around 11,000 adults across England. If your household is eligible we will randomly select one person aged 16 or over at your address to take part.

Who is carrying out the survey?

NHS Digital has commissioned NatCen Social Research and the University of Leicester to design, carry out and analyse data from the survey. The survey is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care.

What is NHS Digital?

NHS Digital is the national digital, data and technology delivery partner for the NHS and social care system in England. It supplies information and data to the health service, provides vital technological infrastructure, and helps different parts of health and social care work together. NHS Digital will be merging with NHS England in early 2023.

What’s involved?

An experienced NatCen interviewer will call at your home and ask you some questions. One person from your household may be invited to take part in an interview. During the interview the person selected to take part will be asked questions about their health and wellbeing by the interviewer. The interview will be arranged for a time that suits your household.

What will happen to any information I give?

We will treat the information you give in the strictest confidence in accordance with data protection legislation. The survey findings are anonymised and nothing we publish will identify you. The results collected will help inform the planning of future health services. You can find out more by visiting www.natcen.ac.uk/wellbeing/privacy.

Do I get anything for taking part?

If your household is selected, as a thank you for taking part in the interview you will be given a £10 voucher that you can exchange for cash at any branch of the Post Office.

Why is the study important?

The first study in this series investigating England’s wellbeing was completed nearly 30 years ago. Since then, we’ve found out key information about the nation’s health and wellbeing including the impact of ageing, caring for others, lack of sleep, access to healthcare and stress at work.

Why am I important?

We have chosen your address at random to make sure we get a representative picture of everyone in England. Your address cannot be replaced by anyone else’s. Whatever your situation, we want to hear about your experiences and opinions. Whether you’re old or young, rich or poor, well or not so well, living in Cornwall or Cumbria, your information is important to us.

Is the survey confidential?

We take great care to protect the privacy of the information people give us and we take careful steps to ensure that the information is secure at all times. Your answers are put together with the answers collected from thousands of other people across England and the survey findings are published in a report. The findings will not identify anyone who took part in the survey.

Why should I take part?

Taking part is voluntary. By speaking to us, you will be helping to give a clearer understanding of the experiences and needs of all people in England. Taking part is an opportunity to shape the decisions made in government and local authorities about health policy and services that have an impact on us all. 

Where can I find out more?

Your interviewer will be able to tell you more, but you can also visit www.natcen.ac.uk/wellbeing or phone us free on 0800 652 4572. Thank you for taking part.