Firstly, check the available data products to see if data access through the Yorkshire and Humber SDE is right for your project. If you’re interested in accessing any of Y&H SDE datasets, please fill the Data Availability Form below and we will come back to you.
To begin a research project with the Yorkshire & Humber Secure Data Environment (SDE), your first step is to submit a Data Availability Form below. This form helps our project management team understand your research objectives and the specific data you require.Â
You can submit the form via the central Yorkshire & Humber SDE website or by email at YHSDE@bthft.nhs.uk
Once we receive your enquiry, we’ll assess whether the SDE holds the data you need. If the data is available, we’ll proceed with the next steps in the data access process.Â
We begin by sending you the Data Access Request Form (DARF). This form captures the key details of your project and initiates the data access process. We begin by sending you the Data Access Request Form (DARF). This form captures the key details of your project and initiates the data access process.Â
Once we receive your DARF, you’ll attend a Scoping Meeting where we review your project in detail. This is your opportunity to share your research objectives, data requirements, and any specific considerations. Together, we’ll refine your DARF to ensure it aligns with your research goals.Â
Following the Scoping Meeting, our team conducts an internal review of your DARF and assesses project feasibility. We also support you in preparing essential documentation, including your Data Linkage Plan and Data Management Plan.Â
With all necessary information in place, you’ll receive indicative costings that reflect the scope and complexity of your project. This process typically takes up to 4 weeks, and we aim to provide the most accurate estimate possible.Â
After the Scoping Meeting and receiving indicative costings, you’ll complete the final Yorkshire & Humber SDE documentation, including your finalised DARF. Our team will guide you through this process.Â
Your DARF is then reviewed by the relevant Data Access Committee (DAC), which includes public representatives, privacy officers, data controllers, researchers, and ethics experts. This ensures your project meets all legal and ethical standards. You will also be expected to provide a lay summary of your future research to ensure that your project can be clearly understood by members of the public, as these will be made accessible via our Data Use Register. It is created to show the public what datasets are available, and how they are being used in research projects.Â
Following final reviews and agreement on costings, you’ll sign the Data Access Agreement (DAA).Â
Once signed, your project is ready for setup.Â
During this stage, you’ll complete mandatory information governance training and join a pre-access call to review the SDE setup and ask any questions.Â
You’ll reconfirm the data format and any software requirements outlined at the DARF stage. Our analysts will then:Â
After the call, we’ll begin your SDE account setup. Once complete, you’ll receive access instructions for the Yorkshire & Humber Secure Data Environment.
Once access is granted, you’ll benefit from:Â
Our team provides ongoing support throughout.Â
At project completion, you’ll submit your final analysis outputs for review. We’ll ensure all project closure requirements are met before any publication or release. Afterward, permanent data deletion will be confirmed.Â
To begin a research project with the Yorkshire & Humber Secure Data Environment (SDE), your first step is to submit a Data Availability Form below. This form helps our project management team understand your research objectives and the specific data you require.Â
You can submit the form via the central Yorkshire & Humber SDE website or by email at YHSDE@bthft.nhs.uk
Once we receive your enquiry, we’ll assess whether the SDE holds the data you need. If the data is available, we’ll proceed with the next steps in the data access process.Â
We begin by sending you the Data Access Request Form (DARF). This form captures the key details of your project and initiates the data access process. We begin by sending you the Data Access Request Form (DARF). This form captures the key details of your project and initiates the data access process.Â
Once we receive your DARF, you’ll attend a Scoping Meeting where we review your project in detail. This is your opportunity to share your research objectives, data requirements, and any specific considerations. Together, we’ll refine your DARF to ensure it aligns with your research goals.Â
Following the Scoping Meeting, our team conducts an internal review of your DARF and assesses project feasibility. We also support you in preparing essential documentation, including your Data Linkage Plan and Data Management Plan.Â
With all necessary information in place, you’ll receive indicative costings that reflect the scope and complexity of your project. This process typically takes up to 4 weeks, and we aim to provide the most accurate estimate possible.Â
After the Scoping Meeting and receiving indicative costings, you’ll complete the final Yorkshire & Humber SDE documentation, including your finalised DARF. Our team will guide you through this process.Â
Your DARF is then reviewed by the relevant Data Access Committee (DAC), which includes public representatives, privacy officers, data controllers, researchers, and ethics experts. This ensures your project meets all legal and ethical standards. You will also be expected to provide a lay summary of your future research to ensure that your project can be clearly understood by members of the public, as these will be made accessible via our Data Use Register. It is created to show the public what datasets are available, and how they are being used in research projects.Â
Following final reviews and agreement on costings, you’ll sign the Data Access Agreement (DAA).Â
Once signed, your project is ready for setup.Â
During this stage, you’ll complete mandatory information governance training and join a pre-access call to review the SDE setup and ask any questions.Â
You’ll reconfirm the data format and any software requirements outlined at the DARF stage. Our analysts will then:Â
After the call, we’ll begin your SDE account setup. Once complete, you’ll receive access instructions for the Yorkshire & Humber Secure Data Environment.
Once access is granted, you’ll benefit from:Â
Our team provides ongoing support throughout.Â
At project completion, you’ll submit your final analysis outputs for review. We’ll ensure all project closure requirements are met before any publication or release. Afterward, permanent data deletion will be confirmed.Â
Yorkshire & Humber Secure Data Environment – Data Availability Form
Yes, you are able to bring your own code, but you must first have a signed Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) and be a logged-in, approved researcher. Once logged in, you will have access to our virtual workspace where you can use standard tools like RStudio or Databricks to work with existing code, or you can bring your own custom code as a reference file or tool, subject to security and technical review by our Data Management Team.
The cost of accessing data varies significantly depending on multiple factors, including the type of data requested, the services provided (such as data processing, analysis, or technical support), and the specific tools required for your project.
After completing and reviewing your Data Access Request Form with all necessary information in place, you’ll receive indicative costs that reflect the scope and complexity of your project based on these various factors. This process typically takes up to 4 weeks, and we aim to provide the most accurate estimate possible tailored to your specific requirements.
To begin a research project with the Yorkshire & Humber Secure Data Environment (SDE), your first step is to submit the Data Availability Form. This form helps our project management team understand your research objectives and the specific data you require.
You can submit the form via the central Yorkshire & Humber SDE website or by  email.
Once we receive your enquiry, we’ll assess whether the SDE holds the data you need. If the data is available, we’ll proceed with the next steps in the data access process described here.
We take data security extremely seriously and follow the national policies, guidelines and best practices to prevent any breach or leak from occurring. You can find out more about our comprehensive data security approach here.
Should any security incident occur, we are committed to maintaining full transparency with all our stakeholders. We will immediately communicate the nature of the incident, the steps we are taking to address it, and all measures being implemented to mitigate security risks and prevent future occurrences.
The NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP) is a computer system that helps NHS services work better together by safely connecting and using data they already have. It helps improve care for patients and plan services more effectively. FDP will not be used for research purposes, where the Secure Data Environments will be used to support both research and planning.
Find out more in the video below:
We offer R, R Studio and Python for all statistical analyses. If you require additional software, then we will provide these to you, but they may require a license fee.
For R and Python, we support access to the R-CRAN and PYPi repositories. For any packages or libraries not in the repositories, individual security checks will be required to bring these into the SDE.
For researchers who have built their own research container (e.g. Docker), we support containers. This may be useful for certain kinds of research, such as Machine Learning or AI.
Our ever-expanding list of datasets contains a wealth of data covering our entire region, including:
Check what other datasets are available at the Available datasets page.