Welcome to the Wessex Secure Data Environment

The Wessex Secure Data Environment (SDE) is a secure, NHS-run computing platform that enables approved researchers to access and analyse patient information in a tightly controlled setting – with public and independent oversight. It is built to the highest standards of privacy and security for NHS health and care data.

Powerful research Powered by NHS data

The Wessex Secure Data Environment exists to turn NHS data into discoveries that help people live healthier lives.

It provides a single, secure way for approved researchers to work safely and responsibly with linked health and care information – bringing powerful new research within reach.

By enabling secure, ethical access to NHS data, the SDE accelerates discoveries, supports life-saving treatments and medicines, and delivers real benefits for patients, communities, and the NHS.

Two researchers in lab coats stand by a scientific presentation board, one explaining data visualisations including a DNA strand and molecule diagram.

For the public

Your data and how it is protected

Your health information is held safely by the NHS and used only for research that benefits patients and the public.

Approved researchers never see confidential patient details, and every study is checked to make sure it serves a clear public good.

The Wessex SDE operates within strict legal, ethical and security standards, shaped with ongoing input from patients and communities across our region.

Find out how your data is kept safe

For researchers

The Wessex SDE and how to use it

The Wessex SDE gives researchers a single, secure route to high-quality linked health and care data.

Our expert team offers clinical and technical insight to help you design studies, access and analyse real-world datasets responsibly and efficiently.

Run by the NHS and certified to the highest standards, the SDE enables faster studies, richer insights and innovation that improves care across the system.

Start your research with us

Built with patients & the public

This isn’t just about technology – it’s about people.

Across Wessex, patients and the public have shared their hopes, concerns, and expectations for how the Wessex SDE should be run. Their voices and recommendations guide what we do and how we do it – ensuring that data is used in ways that reflect community expectations and deliver visible public benefit.

Together we are making sure the Wessex SDE works for everyone.

Find out how the public voice guides our work

Your Impact

DCFs and the delivery of the Public Panel

Some of our Digital Critical Friends explain their involvement in our Wessex Public Panel on NHS Data in their own words.

Strong and transparent governance

The Wessex SDE operates within a strict legal and regulatory framework, aligned with NHS England policy and Health Research Authority standards.

Its design is built on the Five Safes Framework, ensuring that data, projects, people, and outputs are managed responsibly.

The service is independently audited and certified to ISO 27001 – the international standard for information security. Data access decisions are made by an independent committee including public representatives, clinicians, data specialists, and NHS leaders, with public members involved in governance at every level.

Explore how we are governed