The UK government, in partnership with the Wellcome Trust, has announced an investment of up to £600m to establish a Health Data Research Service.
This initiative aims to streamline access to NHS data by creating a secure, centralised access point for national datasets, thereby reducing administrative hurdles for researchers.
The service will also expedite clinical trials, reducing the setup time to 150 days by March 2026, down from over 250 days as recorded in 2022. This will be achieved through the reduction of bureaucratic processes and the standardisation of contracts, with an emphasis on transparency by publishing trust-level data.
The initiative is expected to enhance patient access to new treatments and technologies, leveraging the potential of health data as demonstrated during the pandemic. This development is part of a broader strategy to strengthen the life sciences sector and is aligned with the government’s Plan for Change, which seeks to reshape the economy amidst global challenges.
The full details of this strategy will be revealed alongside the upcoming Spending Review. The Health Data Research Service will maintain rigorous security standards to protect patient confidentiality, employing measures such as anonymity and virtual locked rooms to safeguard health data.
The service will consolidate access to medical research data into a single, user-friendly platform, eliminating the need for researchers to navigate multiple systems or submit multiple requests for data.
Set to commence by the end of 2026, this initiative is anticipated to accelerate advancements in treating diseases such as cancer, dementia, and arthritis, thereby improving patient outcomes and stimulating economic growth.
The service will be based at the Wellcome Genome Campus in Cambridgeshire, where Wellcome is expanding its facilities to support innovative genomics and biodata enterprises.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The measures I am announcing today will turbo-charge medical research and deliver better patient care. I am determined to make Britain the best place in the world to invest in medical research.
“That is not just good for patients and their families. It means growth that puts more money in working people’s pockets with more, better paid jobs.”
