A project involving PenARC research at the University of Exeter has been selected, by a panel including members of the public, to be one of the first to trial the new South West Secure Data Environment.
From March 2025, research projects will begin to access health and care data for research within the new NHS Secure Data Environment (SDE) for the South West. PenARC has actively supported development of the SDE through allocated time from PenARC’s Research Manager in Health Data, Chrissie Walker, who is part of the SDE research workstream and leads the aligned South West Analytics and Infrastructure in Healthcare (SWAIH) – a network for those who work with healthcare data for research.
Improving Patient Flow between Acute, Community, and Social Care (IPACS) was a project that explored how to ease pressure on NHS services and social care by looking at what happens when patients leave the hospital.
PenARC’s Professor Martin Pitts, and Dr Alison Harper, as well as researchers from the Universities of Bath and Bristol, along with the Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (BNSSG ICB), collaborated on this research.
Secure Data Environments (SDEs) are online platforms that allow accredited researchers to safely analyse sensitive data for approved projects. NHS England is funding the development of 11 regional SDEs, which provide an innovative and transparent approach to research while ensuring maximum privacy and security. Data within SDEs is depersonalised, meaning that personal details – such as names, addresses and NHS numbers – are removed before researchers access the information.
The South West SDE benefits from the involvement of three Digital Critical Friends – members of the public trained in digital and data practices in healthcare. Their expertise enables them to provide informed perspectives on the South West SDE’s plans.
As part of the South West SDE’s management and leadership boards, the Digital Critical Friends actively participate in decision-making alongside health, social care, and academic professionals.
Amanda, Digital Critical Friend, said:
“As a member of the public I’m very excited about this project. Myself and the other ‘friends’ have been able to fully participate in discussion and decision making, as a critical friend. I believe this is a step forward in safely and securely using our health data to benefit the NHS.”
Speaking of the project Professor Sallie Lamb, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean for the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences said: “The South West Secure Data Environment is a fantastic example of large-scale collaboration between the NHS and Universities in our region. The SDE will link data together within a safe and secure environment, allowing accredited researchers to analyse health data at scale to improve patient outcomes.”
“We’re excited by the possibilities that this collaborative research will bring and look forward to working with the SDE team to further develop this resource over the coming years.”
See the South West Secure Data Environment website for more information.
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