Secure access to consented GP data marks major step forward for health research in England

The UK Government has issued new directions enabling secure linkage to GP data for participants in major research cohorts who have already given consent, including UK Biobank, Our Future Health and the 100,00 Genomes Project.

The move will allow NHS England to securely share primary care data with approved studies – marking significant progress in strengthening the UK’s ability to enable research in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of diseases.

This announcement also reflects progress in implementing recommendations from the Sudlow Review, which called for a more streamlined, transparent and trustworthy system for accessing UK health data for research, while respecting patient consent and public trust. 

I am delighted that – at long last – there is a clear route to linking GP data to large-scale population-based research resources in the UK. Not only is this respecting the commitment and honouring the consent of participants in UK Biobank, Our Future Health, the 100,000 Genomes Project and beyond, it promises to enable huge opportunities for research to improve understanding of and develop new approaches to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all of those health conditions that are diagnosed and managed mainly or exclusively outside of hospital – arthritis, dementia, diabetes, asthma, depression and anxiety, to name but a few. The substantial benefits that will accrue for patients and the wider public cannot be overstated.

Professor Cathie Sudlow Director of the Usher Institute 
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