Thames Valley and Surrey Secure Data Environment

In the Thames Valley and Surrey (TVS), we are working with patients and the public, alongside health and care staff to develop a local regional secure data environment (SDE) for planning and research  (for detail see get involved section). Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) is the host organisation for the Thames Valley and Surrey Secure Data Environment.

Our SDE will benefit our communities by:

• Supporting research for new and improved diagnostic tools, and treatments
• helping the NHS plan better service
• making sure that everyone can see how local patient data is being used and what impact it has.

A Secure Data Environment is a new method of storing and accessing health and care data ,and is also sometimes known as a Trusted Research Environment. These are spaces where approved users can access health and care data that is not identifiable for use in research that can save and improve lives.

Getting access is subject to strict approval processes and only approved users with a legitimate need can access the data. Those who could access the data includes NHS providers or local authority planners, researchers (both public and private sector), and charities.

Understanding Patient Data conducted a project “What words to use when talking about Secure Data Environments”, during which they talked to members of the public across the UK to co-design an animation that explains Secure Data Environments:

Get Involved

The Thames Valley and Surrey Understanding Our Data Community of Practice brings together  patients, members of the public, and health and care staff to help co-design the processes, governance and frameworks that will underpin how the SDE is set-up, governed and managed.

We are committed to working with our Community of Practice to support trust, transparency and ensuring value is achieved in all we do.

Further information about patient data is available at Understanding Patient Data.