How data is used to improve health and care

Using data has huge benefits for health and care. Find out how our work helps the NHS and social care.

How our health and care data works for everyone

Our NHS is unique. In England it looks after 55 million people, from the time we are born until the end of our lives.

The information in our health and care records can be put together to create a set of data that is unmatched anywhere else in the world. It’s not about anyone’s individual data, but about the data of millions of us as a population.

This data, from across the whole population, is used to monitor and improve care, and it's one of the great strengths of our health service.

But we all know that our health and care information is sensitive, and needs to be kept safe.

This is why NHS Digital exists. We were created to collect and look after this important information and enable it to be used safely, to improve health and care now, and for future generations.

How our data is used

Good data is the foundation of a successful health and care system. Our data is used across health and care to improve care for everyone.

Deciding on the best care

When medical staff have good data on the care patients receive and how well it works, they can recommend the best care for every individual patient.

Researching and improving treatments

When researchers have access to high quality data on treatments and their success rates, they can use it to research new cures and improve medicines.

Addressing health inequalities

When local authorities and government have good data that covers the whole population, they can identify areas that have worse health outcomes and target health and care resources towards the patients that need them most.

Managing contagious diseases

When there is an outbreak of an infectious disease, such as flu, emergency planning committees and the NHS use our data to track its spread and take measures to protect the public, to prevent epidemics.

Improving efficiency and saving money

Data on health and care across the system can show us where money can be saved by using resources better and becoming more efficient. This means more of the NHS budget can be spent where it's needed most.

Planning services, for now and for the future

When we know how many people have a condition, and what their care needs are over time, data can be used to plan which services they will need in the future, making sure services keep up with what the population will need.

Last edited: 15 June 2021 1:36 pm