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Secure Data Environment

The Secure Data Environment (SDE) is a secure data and research analysis platform. It is part of an interoperable NHS Research Secure Data Environment network.

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About the Secure Data Environment (SDE)

NHS England SDE logo

The NHS England SDE is a secure data and research analysis platform. It is part of the NHS Research SDE Network.

This service gives approved researchers with approved projects secure access to NHS healthcare data. All patient information in the SDE is pseudonymised, which means that any identifying (or personal) information such as names, addresses or NHS numbers are replaced with artificial, or ‘pseudo’, information.

What is NHS England's Secure Data Environment?

SDE features

  • secure Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) 
  • Includes Databricks, RStudio and GitLab
  • Python, R and Stata available
  • flexible compute power to suit your needs
  • import reference data securely 
  • output results securely
  • data specialist support 

Learn more about these features and how to get the most out of the NHS England Secure Data Environment.

Data available through the platform

NHS data sets available through the SDE platform

Civil Registrations of Deaths
Community Services Data Set
COVID-19 Ethnic Category Data Set
COVID-19 General Practice Extraction Service (GPES) Data for Pandemic Planning and Research (GDPPR)
COVID-19 Second Generation Surveillance System (SGSS)
COVID-19 UK Non-hospital Antigen Testing Results (Pillar 2)
COVID-19 Vaccination Adverse Reactions
COVID-19 Vaccination Status
Hospital Episode Statistics
Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT)
Maternity Services Data Set
Medicines Dispensed in Primary Care (NHSBSA)
Mental Health data (MHMDS, MHLDDS, MHSDS)
National Secondary Care ePMA
Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP)
Uncurated Low Latency Hospital Data Sets for Admitted Patient Care, Outpatient Care, Critical Care and Emergency Care

As more data sets become available they will be tagged in our data catalogue and will appear in the list above.

Example use of data

British Heart Foundation Data Science Centre team use the SDE to analyse the impact and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A secure platform

NHS England SDE is part of an interoperable NHS Research Secure Data Environment network at the heart of the Data Saves Lives strategy. All platforms will comply with the Secure Data Environment guidelines.

Approved researchers are given controlled access to the environment, which follows the Five Safes Framework to ensure data is accessed and used in a secure and responsible way. We seek advice from the Independent Group Advising on the Release of Data (IGARD) to ensure that the highest standards of data stewardship and governance are upheld.

We provide approved researchers with a Safe Output Service that is robust, effective and transparent to third-party audits.

Researchers will only gain access to data they are permitted to see, and all approved data flows are published on the Data Release Register.

Our transparency notice describes our legal basis for processing personal data in the course of this work.

Access the SDE

You can access the SDE by visiting Access the Secure Data Environment.

Before accessing any data through the platform, you will need to make an enquiry to apply for access to the data through the Data Access Request Service (DARS).

Once you have an approved Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) and have signed the NHS England SDE Service Agreement, you will be able to access the SDE.

1. Check if data access through the SDE is right for your project
1. Check if data access through the SDE is right for your project

Browse the data products to check if the data you need is available through the SDE, or as an extract.

2. Check you meet the standards to access data
2. Check you meet the standards to access data

To access data through the SDE, you must meet the required standards set out in DARS: how to make an application. 

3. Make an enquiry to access the data
3. Make an enquiry to access the data

Submit your application through the Data Access Request Service (DARS). A case officer will assess your application and take you through the next steps to set up your use of the SDE platform.

Charges to access the SDE

The below prices represent an overview of SDE service costs, which are invoiced quarterly.

These charges do not include DARS application fees. Visit Data Access Request Service (DARS) charges for more information.

You will be provided with a full pricing breakdown as part of your SDE application process. There may be additional charges which are not represented below and subject to terms and conditions.

For more detailed information and all pricing enquiries, contact us at [email protected].

Standard charges 

One time SDE set up fee £3600

User account, per month*, includes:

  • 250 Databricks Units (DBU) allowance, per user
  • 4GB VDI memory size
  • RStudio desktop
 £380

Optional user account charges 

Excess DBU, per unit**   £1.40
Upgraded VDI (per month, per user) 8GB £25
  16GB £65
  32GB £145
Stata licence (per year, per user)    £743

These charges are subject to VAT (at the current rate) if applicable.
*All user accounts which have been active, including accounts which were deleted or deactivated within the month, will be charged the standard fee. 
**Excess DBU usage is calculated in total across all accounts, not per user. For example, if you have two users and they use 50 and 300 DBUs in one month respectively, the total usage will be calculated as 350 out of the total 500 DBU included allowance.

Cost example

See below for example costs. 

Scenario 1: Total first quarter’s cost for an organisation with 3 user accounts
Item Cost (£) Amount Total (£)
SDE set-up fee 3,600 1 3,600
User account 380 (per month) 3 3,420
Stata licence 743 2 1,486
VDI upgrade (8GB) 25 (per month) 1 75
VDI upgrade (16GB) 65 (per month) 1 195
Excess DBU unit 1.40 10 14
    Total (ex-VAT) 8,790
Scenario 2: Total second quarter’s cost for an organisation with 3 user accounts
Item Cost (£) Amount  Total (£)
User account 380 (per month) 3 3,420
VDI upgrade (8GB) 25 (per month) 1 75
VDI upgrade(16GB) 65 (per month)  1 196
Excess DBU unit 1.40 15 21
    Total (ex-VAT) 3,712

 

Contact details

To register your interest in the SDE, complete the NHS England SDE expression of interest form.

For technical issues, including accessing the SDE, contact the National Service Desk at [email protected] or phone 0300 303 5035.

For any other general queries, contact [email protected].

Information and times of planned maintenance, during which the NHS England SDE may be unavailable, are published on our announcements and outages page.

Further information

internal Access the Secure Data Environment

The NHS England Secure Data Environment (SDE) is a secure data and research analysis platform. Sign into the SDE portal and view our user guidance.

external
Free data awareness training (external link, opens in a new tab)

The Safe Data Access Professionals Group helps share expertise, best practice and knowledge between organisations engaged in providing secure access to confidential sources of data from the health and social science research sector. This is aimed at promoting best practice when generating Safe Outputs in Safe Settings. These free data awareness training courses and modules provide you with best practice information on working with statistical data.

Last edited: 19 April 2024 5:54 pm