BHF comment
National data service ‘will simplify access for researchers’
We welcome the announcement of a new Health Data Research Service by the Government this week.
Development of the new service, which is funded by the Government and the Wellcome Trust and will begin towards the end of 2026, aims to simplify access to health data for researchers, so that our understanding of diseases is sped up, and in the process the development of new ways of diagnosing, preventing and treating illnesses such as heart disease is accelerated.
Researchers are currently able to securely access NHS datasets, but can sometimes face obstacles and delays. Researchers also can’t access all health and health-relevant data at national or regional level, and differences in how data is collected, sorted, linked and stored add to these challenges.
This means researchers often have to make multiple time- consuming applications for access to data. The new service aims to provide a single simplified route for researchers to access rich NHS datasets from across the four nations in a secure and anonymised way. The new service will be based at the Wellcome Genome Campus in Cambridgeshire.
Commenting on the initiative, Science Secretary Peter Kyle said:
“Building an NHS fit for the future is central to this government’s Plan for Change. Ensuring our research community can access the data which will drive untold improvements for patients across the country is key to that ambition.
“This is a service which has truly transformative potential – giving health experts access to the insights they need to drive forward more research and more clinical trials quicker than ever before.
“Protecting the data and anonymity of patients is non-negotiable. That’s why we’re also putting robust protections in place to make sure the incredible benefits we will all receive from this service will never come at a personal cost.”
Huge potential
Responding to the announcement, Professor James Leiper, our Director of Research said:
“This investment in the huge potential of data science is a welcome and farsighted move.
“Health data has the power to give us unparalleled insights into cardiovascular disease, and will supercharge research which promises to save lives in the years to come.
“Ensuring our cardiovascular researchers have simplified access to the wealth of data the NHS holds, while also ensuring security and patient confidentiality, will place the UK at the cutting edge of data science for health. We look forward to hearing further detail on plans in the coming months.”