Population-level health data has the potential to transform research and public health, and the UK is in a unique position thanks to the NHS and its cradle-to-grave records for a population of over 65 million people.

This was shown during the COVID-19 pandemic, where rapid, secure and efficient connection of health information from places such as hospitals, general practices and testing laboratories supported policy makers. This allowed policy decisions to be made quickly around crucial issues, such as lockdowns, shielding and vaccines.

Understanding how to maintain these positive changes and ensure that there is no reversal in the use of data to improve healthcare is at the core of the review.

Patient and public groups with an interest in health data have been consulted throughout the process, including through two public facing workshops. Public and patient voices are embedded in the governance of the review.

As part of the review process, Professor Sudlow and her team have engaged in direct discussions with a large number of individual and organisational stakeholders. Large numbers of people and organisations also contributed via an online survey which closed in July 2023. The team is hugely grateful to everyone who provided input, which is informing the final report.

The final report will be emailed to all those who have provided input through discussions, survey or workshops.

For more information of how HDR UK processes your data please see our privacy policy.

Find out more about the scope and timelines for the review

Update December 2023: Professor Sudlow has been delighted by the interest in and engagement with the review from many people and organisations across the UK, with a very large number of inputs. As a result of this, and following discussions with the commissioners of the review,  publication is now expected in Spring 2024.

Update September 2024: Due to recent changes in government and substantial interest in the review across the UK, publication has been delayed and is expected to be before the end of the year.

About the review

‘Unifying Health Data in the UK’ has been commissioned by the Chief Medical Officer for England and UK Government’s Chief Medical Adviser, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, NHS England’s National Director of Transformation, Dr Timothy Ferris,  and the UK’s National Statistician Professor Sir Ian Diamond, with the support of the Chief Medical Officers in the devolved nations.

It will be informed by wide consultation and guided by a panel of leading experts from organisations including NHS England, the Office for National Statistics, the UK Health Security Agency, the Department for Health and Social Care, relevant national organisations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and others. 

About Cathie Sudlow

Professor Cathie Sudlow was commissioned to lead this review in light of her expertise in pioneering data science initiatives. Cathie was Chief Scientist and Deputy Director of Health Data Research UK and Director of the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Data Science Centre, which enables data-led research to improve heart and circulatory health. She stepped down from these roles in August 2024 to lead the major, new Adolescent Health Study and maintains an advisory role at HDR UK following her new appointment. She is also Chair of Neurology and Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh.

Cathie’s research interests have always been firmly embedded in the world of big data. Over the last 15 years, her focus has been on leading large-scale, collaborative, open-science initiatives that enable a better understanding of the causes and consequences of health and disease across the life course, leading to new and improved approaches to prevention, diagnosis and treatment. 

From 2011 to 2019, she led efforts to follow the health of UK Biobank participants through linkage to national health datasets. As Director of the BHF Data Science Centre, she helped establish the NHS England National Secure Data Environment, which enables secure access to de-identified data from health settings.

Cathie is fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and was awarded an OBE for services to medical research in 2020.  

For more information, contact sudlowreview@hdruk.ac.uk