Data users of the Secure Data Environment

About the North East and North Cumbria Secure Data Environment 

 

The North East and North Cumbria Secure Data Environment is operational with its technical infrastructure and governance now in place. Data from primary care, ambulance, mental heath and acute is now available, with more datasets and providers being added.

Listen to our podcast where Dr Nehal Hassan, Clinical Pharmacy Lecturer at Newcastle School of Pharmacy, joins Dr Alan Bagnall, Clinical Lead for the North East and North Cumbria Secure Data Environment, and Arne Wolters, Head of Improvement and Analytics at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, to discuss how the Secure Data Environment programme is enabling safe and secure access to health and care data. 

Listen here

Available Data

The SDE provide access to a growing range of curated datasets, with more becoming available as new data sharing agreements are established:

  • Primary care
  • Secondary care
  • Prescribing
  • Diagnostics
  • Community
  • Mental health
  • Mortality
  • Maternity

In addition, the SDE offer:

  • Bring Your Own Data (publicly available or reference data)
  • Pseudo‑at‑source capability to flow provider data
  • Requests for unpublished, bespoke datasets

A full list of available datasets is published on the HDR UK Health Data Gateway.

The SDE SDE provides:

  • Secure Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) on a cloud‑based platform
  • Ability to work with bring‑your‑own, synthetic, or unpublished datasets on request
  • Python and R statistical languages plus additional tools
  • Bespoke consultancy services to support your project

  • Security and trust: Data never leaves the secure environment
  • Population focus: Access data from across the North East & North Cumbria region, with opportunities to link datasets for richer insights
  • High‑quality research: Conduct studies in a safe, governed setting designed to uphold the highest standards of data use and patient privacy
  • Powerful tools: Make use of a secure virtual desktop with statistical software such as Python and R, alongside other analysis tools, to support advanced research

  • Finding existing data and evidence
  • Data access
  • Connecting and sharing expertise

To access NHS data via the Secure Data Environment (SDE) Network, individuals and organisations must first complete a validation check: you fill in an online form, which is assessed against the SDE Network’s criteria (e.g., data security standards, how you’ll use NHS data). NHS England Digital

Once validated, you’re eligible to apply for access to data through one or more SDEs - but validation doesn’t guarantee access to any specific dataset.

Find out more: NHS England Digital

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Data services
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Platform services
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Consultancy services
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Test projects
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Case study: AI Multiply

Find out more

Please get in touch if you have any questions about the Secure Data Environment, or if you would like to access data for research or planning purposes.

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Contact the North East and North Cumbria SDE team