Secure Data Environments (SDEs) are secure digital spaces where approved researchers can access deidentified health data from the NHS to help them learn about various health conditions and make discoveries that can improve healthcare.
Studying patient data is the best way to learn about real-world health issues, which can drive breakthroughs such as new diagnostic tests and treatments. The NHS is committed to enabling this nationally by providing a secure route for approved researchers to access health data without being able to identify individuals.
As part of the national programme (opens in a new tab), CUH is working with the Eastern England SDE (opens in a new tab), which covers the East of England and East Midlands, supporting appropriate access to NHS health data across the region.
The benefits of an SDE
- Providing access to health data – Allows researchers to learn from real world healthcare accelerating the process of turning scientific discoveries and data insights into better care for patients.
- Bringing together care data – SDEs combine NHS data from hospitals, GPs and other care systems providing a more complete picture of patient care across the region.
- Rigorous approval process – All researchers wishing to access data in the SDE need to get approval from a review panel composed equally of experts and patient representatives, ensuring that the SDE is always used for the benefit of NHS patients.
- A better way for researchers to access data – SDEs are controlled by the NHS and only contain deidentified data. This means data from an SDE cannot be linked back to individual patients. The SDE is a secure digital space and approved researchers can only access data for a limited time in line with the needs of their research.
We understand that some people may not wish to have their data included in research, and you can choose to opt out of the SDE (opens in a new tab).
Focused on patients
Patients play a key role in how the SDE works, ensuring that it aligns with patient expectations and needs. Patients, and patient-focused organisations, participate in the SDE design and make decisions about who will be allowed to access data and for what purpose.
The model for patient involvement was built on insights from earlier projects (opens in a new tab) such as My Care Record (opens in a new tab), Gut Reaction (opens in a new tab), and CYNAPSE (opens in a new tab).
Partnership across the region
The Eastern England SDE is funded through an NHS England programme and is part of a network of regional secure data environments across England.
The SDE involves organisations across the region that use or hold NHS data, provide technical expertise in data science and innovation and who work with patients and members of the public.
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH)
- Cambridge University Health Partners (CUHP)
- Health Innovation East
- Healthwatch
- Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System (ICS)
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICS
- Suffolk and North-East Essex ICS
- Bedfordshire, Luton, and Milton Keynes ICS
- Hertfordshire and West Essex ICS
- Mid and South Essex ICS
- The University of East Anglia
- Anglia Ruskin University
- University of Cambridge
Find out more or get involved
Find out more on the Eastern England SDE website (opens in a new tab).