Are DCB 0129/0160 mandatory?

Yes. There has been a great deal of debate in this area for some time but NHS Digital/England have confirmed that "Compliance with DCB0129 and DCB0160 is mandatory under the Health and Social care Act 2012."

According to NHS England, NHS Trusts must only procure health IT systems which comply with DCB 0129 standard. Then, the Trust must conduct DCB 0160 activities to assure the implementation. Manufacturers who produce health IT systems which are not compliant increasingly struggle to sell into the NHS. NHS England are gradually tightening the knot in this area and most manufacturers are finding it impossible to bring a product to market if they have not undertaken the work.

DCB 0129 and 0160 are not currently mandated in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In Wales, the standards have been adopted for a number of years and have been formally mandated in 2023.