The data provided by HES gives us information in terms of finished consultant episodes (FCEs). But quite often a patient may have a continous stay in hospital that includes more than one FCE, (a Continuous In-patient Spell, or CIPS). We are often interested in analysing by CIPS, so decisions have to be made about how to identify and select the diagnostic information contained on the separate FCEs in a CIPS.

It is useful, therefore, to know for each diagnosis/operation:

• how many CIPS records comprise just one FCE,
• how many CIPS comprise several FCEs (a "multiple FCE spell"),
• whether a particular diagnosis or operation is recorded in the main diagnostic position, or elsewhere, and whether it is recorded on the first FCE, the last FCE, or on an intermediate FCE, and on combinations of these.

These tables show, for each diagnosis or operation, how frequently that diagnosis/operation appears in different positions on a record, for both FCEs, and CIPSs.