Office for National Statistics (ONS) use of NHS England data

ONS is responsible for collecting and publishing statistics related to the UK’s economy, population and society at national, regional and local levels. It also conducts the census in England and Wales every 10 years. 

ONS requires access to administrative data held by NHS England (NHSE) to support these statistical functions. 

No individuals are ever identifiable in the statistics ONS publishes.

Data sources 

Information on datasets provided by NHSE can be found on the ONS sources of data webpage. Here the ONS provides detail and transparency on the uses of these health data sources, including information on ethical scrutiny, data minimisation, data protection, and examples of impact. 

The live agreements for ONS can be found in the NHS England Data uses register.  

Policies and opt outs 

The ONS has a health data policy that considers the appropriate handling of patient confidential information in the production of official statistics and statistical research. ONS also provides information on how it treats NHS National Data Opt outs. 

One of the ONS’ functions is to support research that serves the public good. It does this by providing accredited or approved researchers with access to de-identified data within a Trusted Research Environment (TRE). All research projects must be approved by the independent Research Accreditation Panel and must comply with The ‘Five Safes’ Framework. 

Research Accreditation Panel 

The Research Accreditation Panel (RAP) includes independent members and senior civil servants from key public authority data owners. It oversees the framework used to accredit research projects, researchers and processing environments. The UK Statistics Authority publishes information about RAP’s role and membership on the authority website. 

Researcher access 

ONS publishes guidance on how to become an accredited researcher under the Digital Economy Act 2017 (DEA). The pre-requisites and process for becoming an approved researcher under the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 (SRSA) legal gateway are the same as those for accredited researchers. Consequently, all approved researchers are recognised as accredited researchers and vice versa. 

ONS must receive consent to disclose data received from a public authority. NHSE provides consent for the disclosure of de-identified data for research, on condition that the research cannot be carried out in an NHSE Secure Data Environment (SDE).  

ONS seeks additional written approval from NHSE on a case-by-case basis for projects where;  

• data has a higher risk of reidentification;  

• novel processing methods, including the use of artificial intelligence or machine-learning are proposed.  

The ONS publishes guidance on how to apply for an accredited research project. Here the ONS provides detail on the application process and required information, the roles and responsibilities of the project team, and how applications are assessed and set up following approval. 

New application approval process

Transparency 

A list of accredited researchers and accredited projects is published on the authority website. 

The ONS supports the production and publication of official statistics and statistical research by devolved governments. Where required for these purposes, ONS may share data it holds for its statutory functions with the statistical offices of the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. 

ONS only shares data with the consent of the data supplier. 

Policies and processes 

Disclosures of data to devolved governments are subject to the ONS Data sharing policy and are approved by NHSE on a case by case basis. The ONS maintains data sharing agreements for the data it discloses to devolved governments. 

The ONS provides statistical services.  

For requests that can be met by secure access to de-identified data, see the Provision for accredited research section.

Approval for the use of NHSE data in other statistical services is sought from NHSE on a case by case basis and governed by relevant data sharing agreements. 

The ONS conducts ethical assessments for all proposed uses of data before granting access. These assessments ensure that all data use is appropriate, proportionate, and aligned with ethical and legal standards. 

This applies to: 

• ONS statisticians carrying out official statistical functions 

• accredited third-party researchers accessing data within TREs 

• data disclosures to the statistical offices of devolved governments 

The Centre for Applied Data Ethics (CADE) provides practical support and guidance to help researchers and statisticians apply data ethics in practise. Ethical assessments are reviewed by CADE to ensure ethical principles are applied consistently and that risks are appropriately identified and mitigated. CADE decides whether the assessment sufficiently addresses all ethical concerns or if further review is required from the National Statistician’s Data Ethics Advisory Committee (NSDEC). 

NSDEC provides independent advice and oversight on the ethical use of public data. It supports the National Statistician by assessing whether proposed data uses are appropriate, proportionate, and in the public interest. NSDEC reviews project and policy proposals that may present higher levels of ethical risk and advises on their acceptability.