Impact Report
Making Data Count
In our first Impact Report, we share the many ways HDR UK is advancing health data research, how we're making a difference to health data science and improving lives.
This year has been a period of significant change. 2024 has seen the launch of the Sudlow Review, examining the barriers and inefficiencies that currently delay the safe and secure use of health data. A 10-year health plan for the NHS is in the works, following political change. Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve at a rapid pace.
Amid this, HDR UK remains an independent, authoritative centre for excellence and through our programmes, we have equipped teams with the tools, infrastructure, and expertise needed to realise the full potential of health data.
Take a look at the success stories from across the HDR UK community.
Read the full HDR UK Impact Report
Our impact in numbers
- 3932
- The HDR UK research community have published 3,932 journal articles and preprints
- 96
- 96% of HDR UK publications are open access
- 6
- HDR UK outputs have been cited over 200,000 times and are 6x more cited than those in similar fields
- 82
- 82% of software, tools and databases are open source
- 193
- HDR UK research has influenced policy 193 times, both nationally and internationally, including membership of key advisory committees
- 110
- The UK Health Data Research Alliance convened 110 members, with 18 new members joining in 2024 alone
Source:
Alliance data from HDR UK. All other figures from ResearchFish Report received May 2024. Includes outputs by a subset of HDR UK members published since April 2018 (HDR UK establishment) and attributed by submitters as HDR UK Institute outputs. Snapshot of number of citations taken July 2024.
Improving people’s lives by unlocking the power of data
The UK is in a unique position with almost the entire population – 67 million people – receiving care from the NHS throughout their lifetime. Safe and secure use of this abundance of health data could hold the key to improving the diagnosis and treatment of so many debilitating illnesses affecting millions of patients, from cancer to cardiovascular disease; as well as reducing suffering for many people in the future.
The projects delivering impact on people’s lives
- First whole-population health data study delivers huge public benefits – Research led by CVD-COVID-UK/COVID-IMPACT with the support of the BHF Data Science Centre (BHF DSC) at HDR UK
- Community and data scientists team up to boost vaccination rates in Brazil – Using resources from International COVID-19 Data Alliance (ICODA), a global partnership convened by HDR UK
- Global collaboration helps repair health systems in COVID-19 aftermath – An international research collaboration, supported by HDR UK’s International COVID-19 Data Alliance (ICODA) programme
Views from the people behind the projects
The availability of population-wide data has allowed us to study different combinations of COVID-19 vaccines and to consider rare cardiovascular complications. This would not have been possible without the very large data that we are privileged to access and our close, cross-institution collaborations.
Venexia Walker, Research Fellow at the University of Bristol, and member of the BHF Data Science Centre CVD-COVID-UK/COVID-IMPACT Consortium (First whole-population health data study delivers huge public benefits)
Sharing the leadership of the project, with its mistakes, successes, challenges, and virtues, on an equal footing between residents and researchers, and recognizing existing knowledge and leadership in the territory, proved to be a great innovation.
The DP-EFFECT Team (Community and data scientists team up to boost vaccination rates in Brazil)
It is heartening to know that this project helped support policy-making, provided insights on health system resilience, and improved our understanding of how to work with health data during a crisis.
Catherine Arsenault, Assistant Professor | Global Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University (Global collaboration helps repair health systems in COVID-19 aftermath)
Accelerating trustworthy data use by sorting the data
We know that the health data ecosystem is complex and fragmented, meaning access to datasets is difficult or slow and holds back progress that could improve lives. Our work is making it easier for researchers to find and access the data they need to generate new discoveries, using streamlined systems that are designed to ensure the privacy and security of people’s data.
The projects accelerating trustworthy data use
- Pioneering innovations for secure data environments – Part of the DARE UK (Data and Analytics Research Environments) programme, run by HDR UK and Administrative Data Research UK (ADR UK)
- Empowering the sensitive data research community – Run by the DARE UK Community Groups initiative
- Groundbreaking data collaboration improves children’s lives and futures – Utilising the Education and Child Health Insights from Linked Data (ECHILD) Research Database, established through collaboration with partners including HDR UK
- Tackling missing ethnicity data and biases in research – Led by the UK Health Data Research Alliance (the Alliance), which is supported by a HDR UK secretariat
- New legal protocol safeguards data security and speeds up access
Views from the people behind the projects
The DARE UK Phase 1 Driver Projects demonstrate the power of collaboration in tackling Secure Data Environment (SDE) challenges, from data linkage to access. Their adoption across the UK and beyond signals a new era of unified, efficient sensitive data research for public benefit—and we’re proud to be at the forefront of this transformation.
The DARE UK Delivery Team (Empowering the sensitive data research community)
ECHILD represents an exciting step change in the availability of data for research to improve the lives of children and families. Linking together data across different services allows us to bring together different parts of the puzzle to ultimately let services make decisions in more joined up ways.
Katie Harron, Professor of Statistics and Health Data Science, UCL (Groundbreaking data collaboration improves children’s lives and futures)
Everyone deserves access to high-quality healthcare regardless of their background. We need to work harder and smarter to address inequalities, associated with ethnicity, in healthcare access and health outcomes.
Kamlesh Khunti, Professor of Primary Care Diabetes and Vascular Medicine, University of Leicester. Co-Chair HDR UK Ethnicity Coding Working Group (Tackling missing ethnicity data and biases in research)
We have never appreciated the importance of utilising data for public benefit more than throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, yet data research continues to be delayed by complex and divergent contracting arrangements. Widespread adoption of the DAA template will not only help build public trust but also improve the efficiency of research, ultimately enablin
Rachel Brophy, Head of Information and Research Governance (Interim), HDR UK (New legal protocol safeguards data security and speeds up access)
Shaping the future of health data research
Exciting times lie ahead for the expanding health data landscape. At HDR UK we’ve already taken major steps in infrastructure innovation for researchers, and we are at the forefront of keeping health data science high on the public policy agenda. But the true power of health data can only be achieved within a wider ecosystem that actively seeks to connect people, data and organisations. We’re committed to embracing diverse perspectives and skills, which are vital for tackling the health challenges facing our 21st century communities. We never forget that behind each data point lies a person, a loved one, a family. Our strategy reflects this ethos, as we strive to make patients and the public essential partners in shaping our work and our future strategy.

Major update to the Health Data Research Gateway launched to accelerate research

The Sudlow Review

Putting patients and the public at the heart of what we do
As host for, and active partner in, the Public Engagement in Data Research Initiative (PEDRI), our Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) team has helped deliver huge progress in promoting good standards in effective engagement and involvement of the public in data for research and statistics.

Health Data Science Black Internship Programme
Black Internship Programme Alumnus, Emmanuel Ughoo, said
“ The HDR UK internship... inspired me to aim higher than I ever thought possible. Thank you for all the incredible impact you’ve had on my career. I wouldn’t have reached this point without your support.”