NHS Digital

Our experts explain how we are using data to drive research and improve NHS and care services.  

NHS Digital Data Points

Our experts explain how we are using data to drive research and improve NHS and care services.

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Putting people and partnership at the centre of clinical research

In March 2024, the Westminster Health Forum policy conference on "Next steps for clinical research in the UK" brought together stakeholders from across the research industry. Heather Pinches shares her insights from the event.

Heather Pinches

Head of Clinical Trials Service,

Female researcher looking at a computer screen.

One year on: The latest on our Secure Data Environment

Liz Gaffney, Head of NHS England's Secure Data Environment, reflects on the developments of the service one year on.

Liz Gaffney

Service Owner, NHS England Secure Data Environment,

Crowd of people walking on London street

Recruitment success puts spotlight on what we can do better

Our data-driven clinical trials service, NHS DigiTrials, is changing what is possible for researchers but there’s more to do, says our Head of Clinical Trials.

Heather Pinches

Head of Clinical Trials Service,

Map of England with different sized dots superimposed to indicate search results of where potential participants are located.

Clinical trials get faster

On International Clinical Trials Day, James Gray, NHS DigiTrials Service Delivery Manager, talks about the new Feasibility Self-Service tool that drastically cuts the time it takes researchers to find out if there are enough potential participants for their clinical trial.

James Gray

NHS DigiTrials Service Delivery Manager,

A new way to find patients

Darren Hickling describes NHS Digital’s role in developing a platform to identify the highest risk COVID-19 patients so they could receive life-saving antiviral treatments.

Darren Hickling

Technical Architect, NHS Digital

One giant step for secure data access

Michael Chapman, Director of Research and Clinical Trials at NHS Digital, talks about our new Secure Data Environment and explains how it is making research into life-saving treatments easier and faster.

Michael Chapman

Director for Research and Clinical Trials, NHS Digital

Dr Nicola Byrne stands against a white backdrop

What is public benefit?

Dr Nicola Byrne, the National Data Guardian, outlines new guidance to support better public benefit evaluations.

Dr Nicola Byrne

National Data Guardian,

The authors Alistair Bullward and Sam Hollings.

Why we’re getting our data teams to RAP

Reproducible analytical pipelines (RAP) help ensure all published statistics meet the highest standards of transparency and reproducibility. Sam Hollings and Alistair Bullward share their insights on adopting RAP and give advice to those starting out.

Graphic collage representing a panel discussion

Why we want to recruit data sceptics

Eileen Phillips, GP Data Patient and Public Engagement and Communications Advisory Panel (PPECAP) co-chair and National Data Guardian Panel member, says actively seeking opposing points of views is essential if we’re to understand concerns and build public trust in the use of patient data.

Eileen Phillips

Co-chair of the GP Data Patient and Public Engagement and Communications Advisory Panel (PPECAP) and member of the National Data Guardian Panel,

Are we ‘Clear on Cancer’?

Ruth Joy Akinsanmi, who previously worked as a project officer in the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS), describes what her team learned when they examined the data and evaluated the effectiveness of a national cancer awareness campaign run by Public Health England.

Ruth Joy Akinsanmi

Former Project Officer,

What we discovered when designing an opt-out service

Andrew Thorne-Marsh, Programme Manager for GP Data, reflects on the confusion around opting-out of health and adult social care data sharing and examines why it is essential to equip people with clear and accessible information so they can make meaningful choices on how their data is used.

Andrew Thorne-Marsh

Programme Manager for GP Data,

Kathryn Salt inside NHS Digital's offices in Leeds

The past, present and future of our GP data service

Kathryn Salt, Head of Service for Open Data and Publications, and winner of the 'Women in IT Awards Data Leader of the year' 2021, provides an insight into how the data collected by GPs is being used, how it's helping to save lives and what the challenges are for the future.

Kathryn Salt

Head of Service: Open Data and Publications, NHS Digital

Gloved hand holding a microtube in front of a computer screen showing Galleri trial data

We’re transforming clinical trial recruitment

Andy Rees, Clinical Trials Operations Manager for NHS DigiTrials, explains how routine NHS data has supported the fastest ever recruitment to a large-scale randomised trial - and explores what the new service means for clinical research in the UK.

Andy Rees

Clinical Trials Operations Manager, NHS Digital

What do GP staff think about data use?

Peter Short, clinical lead for the GP Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR) programme, picks out some of the key points from a survey of GP staff about the use of GP data – and explains how it is shaping the programme's thinking.

Peter Short

Clinical Lead, GP Data, NHS Digital

A patient takes anti-viral treatments at home

Our data helped deliver life-saving treatments for COVID-19 patients

Alison Ward describes NHS Digital’s Therapeutics team’s role in helping COVID-19 patients receive life-saving treatments during the pandemic.

Alison Ward

Programme Director, NHS Digital

People don't have time to decode our messages

Lorna Branton, Head of Communications for the GP Data for Planning and Research programme, says patients and GP staff are clear that the jargon has to stop when we talk about data.

Lorna Branton

Head of Communications, GP Data for Planning and Research, NHS Digital

Collage image of Grace Melvin, co-chair of the GP Data Patient and Public Engagement and Communications Advisory Panel

We must listen to the public on GP data

Grace Melvin, co-chair of the GP Data Patient and Public Engagement Advisory Panel, explains the importance of putting people's voices and concerns at the heart of the effort to improve the NHS's use of GP data.

Grace Melvin

Senior Policy Officer, Association of Medical Research Charities

Openness is vital to future of clinical trials

Dolapo Ogunleye, a member of the patient and public co-development panel for NHS DigiTrials, says technology is improving clinical trials but we need to reach out to all communities to ensure the benefits are equally shared.

Dolapo Ogunleye

Member of the Patient and Public Co-Development Panel, NHS DigiTrials

Your NHS data makes a difference

Eva Simmonds, programme head for GP Data, reflects on how NHS data powers the NHS and provides an update on the GP Data for Planning and Research programme.

Eva Simmonds

Programme Head, GP Data for Planning and Research,

Picture shows a row of vials containing the AstraZeneca vaccine

Vaccine trials: Getting the numbers right

Collette Healy, Delivery Support Officer from NHS DigiTrials, explains how the Permission to Contact Service supported rapid recruitment to 15 COVID-19 vaccine trials.

Collette Healy

Delivery Support Officer for DigiTrials, NHS Digital

Two teenage girls writing on a whiteboard in a classroom.

How do you do pioneering research without ever seeing the data?

Lucy Elliss-Brookes, Associate Director for Data Curation at NHS Digital, explains the new approach that allowed researchers to show the life-changing benefits of the Human Papilloma Virus vaccine – without any direct access to patient data.

Lucy Elliss-Brookes

Associate Director for Data Curation, NHS Digital

NHS consultant and clinical researcher Dr Marion Mafham sits at her computer.

Data joins the dots

Dr Marion Mafham, NHS consultant kidney specialist and clinical researcher at the University of Oxford, explains how safe and secure access to GP data would benefit public health research.

Marion Mafham

NHS consultant and clinical researcher, University of Oxford

Collage image of 2 men jogging with face masks surrounded by graph lines and hexagons.

How we're improving our data dashboards

Alistair Bullward, Product Owner for Open Data and Data Visualisation, provides an update on our open and live data dashboards that are helping to battle COVID-19 and help build a better NHS for the future.

Alistair Bullward

Head of Function for Analytics, Data Services, NHS Digital