The new members are:  

  • Grampian Data Safe Haven – a secure, virtual trusted research environment (TRE) established by the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian to allow for the linking of health data for the Grampian and Scottish population 

These organisations join 73 existing Alliance members who work together to offer an exceptional opportunity to provide access to rich and diverse health data for research and innovation in a trustworthy and ethical way.  

Professor Shantini Paranjothy, Clinical Chair in Public Health at the University of Aberdeen, Consultant in Public Health for NHS Grampian and DaSH Clinical and Academic Lead, and Professor Corri Black, Co-Director of the Aberdeen Centre for Health Data Science at the University of Aberdeen, Consultant in Public Health for NHS Grampian, and DaSH Clinical and Academic Deputy Lead jointly announce:

The Grampian Data Safe Haven is pleased to join the UK Health Data Research Alliance. We look to further expand and enable access to health and population data available to researchers via the DaSH trusted research environment. Joining the Alliance is an important forum for sharing resources and shaping the direction for future research across the UK.” 

Claire Richardson, Commercial Director, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, announces:

“Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to join the UK Health Data Research Alliance.  This will support our work in digital healthcare innovation and our wider research and development strategy.  Through our collaboration, we hope to continue to solve our biggest challenges through disruptive digital healthcare innovation.”

The UK Health Data Research Alliance welcomes these new members who, with our current partners, bring high value datasets and new approaches to developing tools and techniques for data research at scale. 

Paola Quattroni, Head of Alliance Strategy and Engagement for HDR UK, says:

We warmly welcome these new members to the UK Health Data Research Alliance with their rich data and expertise. Having them onboard helps deliver our mission to improve people’s lives by building an efficient research data infrastructure for the ethical use of health data for research and innovation.” 

The Alliance is convened by Health Data Research UK (HDR UK)and is part of the UK-wide capability for the responsible use of health data for research and innovation, currently funded by the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF).  

 Any requests to access data held by Alliance members on theGateway for research and innovation will continue to go through their existing protocols to ensure strict security and data privacy.   

More about our new members:   

The Grampian Data Safe Haven (DaSH) is a secure, virtual TRE for health and population data analysts established over 10 years ago by the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian. 

 DaSH is one of four regional safe havens in Scotland providing secure access to patient and population data where it is not practicable to obtain individual consent. DaSH is accredited by the Scottish Government and maintains ISO27001 certification for secure processing of and safe access to sensitive data, ensuring patient confidentiality and privacy whilst facilitating cutting-edge research. 

DaSH maintains health records for the NHS Grampian Health Board, covering a population of 600,000 people, 89 GP practices and 17 community hospitals in Aberdeenshire and Moray in North East Scotland. DaSH will also expand to hold data from Highlands & Islands in the future. With the newly established Aberdeen Health Determinants Research Centre (AHDRC), DaSH has begun to hold Local Authority data for Aberdeen City. 

Visit: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/iahs/facilities/grampian-data-safe-haven.php 

Twitter: @AbdnCHDS  #grampiandash 

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was established following a reconfiguration of health services in Gloucestershire in 2002. 

The Trust provides acute hospital services from two large district general hospitals, Cheltenham General Hospital and Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. The trust employs around 8,500 people who help to provide care for the population of Gloucestershire and beyond. 

Maternity Services are also provided at Stroud Maternity Hospital. Outpatient clinics and some surgery services are provided by Trust staff from community hospitals throughout Gloucestershire. The Trust also provided services at the satellite oncology centre in Hereford County hospital. 

Visit: www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk 

Twitter: @gloshospitals

For any queries or information about how to join the UK Health Data Research Alliance, email ukalliance@hdruk.ac.uk