East of England Secure Data Environment

East of England Secure Data Environment is a *Secure Data Environment that includes digital spaces to hold NHS data and allow approved researchers to safely access and analyse it for research, while keeping the data protected and under the control of the NHS.

Many organisations across our region hold data, including hospitals, GP surgeries and Integrated Care Systems. This data could contribute to health research and data-led improvements in health and care. The initial funding (to March 2024) is focussed on example projects, such as heart disease. Doing this will allow us to demonstrate that data from multiple organisations can securely, transparently and efficiently be brought together to support research that helps address NHS priorities across the region. Following these example projects, the SDE will be scaled up to support wider research. 

The data in the East of England SDE ultimately comes from NHS patients across the region. They will be an essential part of its design, and will help decide who will be allowed to access data and for what purpose. This project builds on public involvement in earlier projects (such as My Care Record, Gut Reaction, and CYNAPSE) and brings together many organisations that are working to support trustworthy use of data in health research. 

*Secure Data Environments are data storage and access platforms, which uphold the highest standards of privacy and security of NHS health and social care data when used for research and analysis.