Cookies
What are cookies?
Cookies are small files saved on your phone, tablet or computer when you visit a website.
They store information about how you use the website, such as the pages you visit.
How we use cookies
We only use cookies to:
- make our website work
- measure how you use our website, such as which links you click on (analytics cookies), if you give us permission
We do not use cookies for advertising or personalised marketing.
We sometimes use tools on other organisations' websites to collect data or to ask for feedback. These tools set their own cookies.
Cookies that make our website work
We use cookies to keep our website secure and fast.
List of cookies that make our website work
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| _csrf | Protects forms and actions from Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks. A security cookie required for the site to function safely. | Until you close your browser (session cookie) |
| AWSALB | Set automatically by AWS. Routes requests to the same backend server to keep the service stable. | Session cookie |
| AWSALBCORS | Set automatically by AWS. Supports AWS load balancing with modern browser CORS requirements. | Session cookie |
| data-hub.sid | Stores your session ID so the service can maintain your session while you use the service. | 1 year (based on current session configuration) |
| lang | Remembers your language preference so the site displays in the correct language. | 1 year (based on current language preference configuration) |
| nhsuk-cookie-consent | Stores your cookie consent choice so you are not asked again every time you visit. | 90 days (configured by the NHSBSA cookie consent component) |
Cookies that measure website use
We also like to use analytics cookies. These cookies store anonymous information about how you use our website, such as which pages you visit or what you click on.
List of cookies that measure website use
Google Analytics stores the following cookies on your computer:
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| _ga | Distinguishes unique users and is used to generate statistical data about how visitors use the website. | 13 months |
| _ga_ | Stores session state for your Google Analytics 4 property and helps associate activity with the correct analytics session. | 13 months |
We'll only use these cookies if you say it's OK. We'll use a cookie to save your settings.