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Data Impact

The Wessex Secure Data Environment enables research that delivers clear public benefit. This page highlights the impact of studies carried out through the SDE, showcases examples of data in action, and outlines our research priorities that guide this and future work.

1 Completed studies
4 Research outputs / publications
9.2m Population coverage
2 Epidemiological studies 3 Artificial intelligence 4 Health systems research 4 Real world studies
Study type mix

Making NHS data work for public benefit

Discover the real-world power of NHS data through the Wessex SDE. Here, we highlight how secure access to patient data is unlocking ground-breaking research, accelerating vital breakthroughs, and delivering tangible benefits – whether it is faster treatments, smarter NHS services, or positive change for society. Explore the latest success stories that demonstrate the SDE’s transformative impact, updated regularly to highlight where patient data is making a genuine difference.

Data in action

Discover the real-world power of NHS data through the Wessex SDE. Here, we highlight how secure access to patient data is unlocking ground-breaking research, accelerating vital breakthroughs, and delivering tangible benefits – whether it is faster treatments, smarter NHS services, or positive change for society. Explore the latest success stories that demonstrate the SDE’s transformative impact, updated regularly to highlight where patient data is making a genuine difference.

All News

Milestone study securely links police and NHS road collision data using Wessex SDE

Research
The Department for Transport (DfT) has published ‘Linking police and health data on road collisions: an initial feasibility study’, which provides proof of concept for securely linking police collision data…

£600m new funding to accelerate health research and delivery of the SDE Network

News
On Monday 7 April, the Prime Minister announced that the Government and the Wellcome Trust will invest up to £600 million to create a new Health Data Research Service. This…

A new era in treating cancer – The NHS Cancer Vaccines Launch Pad

Research Project
The NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) is designed to fast-track the development of cancer vaccines, improving patient access to clinical trials of these potentially life-saving treatments. Thousands of patients…

Our Strategic Research Priorities

The Wessex SDE exists to turn NHS data into discoveries that help people live healthier lives. There are many ways we could do this and often choices to make about the work we do, the studies we support, and the impact we can have as a result.

Our ‘Strategic Research Priorities’ – set out below and created with Wessex patients and the public – guide these decisions and help researchers align projects with what local people value. They inform data access decisions and shape our evaluation success – so that every study delivers meaningful benefit to Wessex and the NHS.

1. Save the NHS money through prevention and long-term health improvements for everyone

Health systems research projects will provide an evidence base for changes to patient pathways and public health activity that deliver more streamlined services, reduce costs and reduce waiting times.

2. Improve public health, quality of life, and reduce health inequalities

Studies that look at impacts on large groups of people (epidemiological studies) will help us to better understand environmental and lifestyle factors, allowing us to provide better public health information and guidance so that people live healthier for longer.

3. Clear aims, measurable outcomes, and align with Wessex’s health needs

We already know a lot about the burden of disease in Wessex from our Integrated Care Partnerships (ICPs) and NHS partners. By working collaboratively across the region, we can prioritise projects which will have a direct benefit and impact on local issues.

4. Create new knowledge and avoid unnecessary repetition

By capturing learning and outcomes from the research projects using the Wessex SDE will we help to embed learning that drives new innovation and research, accelerating system and patient outcome improvements.

5. Clearly costed, financially sustainable, and delivering value for money

The NHS spends a lot of time and money capturing data which is not currently used to its greatest effect. The Wessex SDE will help us to maximise the use and value of this precious data by making available in research ready formats in a single place and enabling national research to consistent standards.

6. Create financial sustainability for the Wessex SDE to support the NHS in the future

The SDE Network is working collaboratively to develop a costing model to ensure that the NHS and patients receive fair value (not just £ but also wider value) from the system. Research to test, train, check and introduce new forms of technology (such as AI) will also help to reduce the burden on the NHS into the future.

7. Quickly deliver results using existing data and resources

Our first priority for Wessex is to map that data that is currently held by NHS and university partners across the region. This will be an ongoing activity which helps us to accelerate health innovation for real world impact, putting new discoveries into practice in health care settings (also known as ‘translational research’).

8. A public benefit that would raise awareness of the SDE and build reputation

All research projects that want to use the SDE must demonstrate value to the public and NHS. This will be evaluated by the Wessex SDE’s Data Access Committee which will include professional and public members. Guidance on how projects should be evaluated are being developed in collaboration with the public.

Impact resources & published papers

These resources share the findings, insights and real-world impact of work undertaken through the Wessex Secure Data Environment. They offer a mix of published research findings and more accessible evidence on how the SDE is supporting research, informing decisions, and generating public benefit.