The Yorkshire & Humber SDE

The Yorkshire & Humber Secure Data Environment (SDE) is a sub-national SDE that presents a unified, secure, and transparent platform for maintaining and utilising healthcare data for research and innovation.

It generates a transformational opportunity for the region to have a world-class infrastructure of whole system data storage and access platform. Our SDE coverage extends across the entire region, encompassing a population of over 5 million people, bringing together three Integrated Care Boards (NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB, NHS South Yorkshire ICB, NHS West Yorkshire ICB), along with local universities, and a range of partners like schools, industry, and the local community.

Why the Yorkshire & Humber SDE?

The Y&H SDE benefits from well-established collaboration across the region, which is the key strength behind the technology and projects running in the area. By connecting all organisations across all three ICBs, the Y&H SDE becomes a unified “single front door” to access rich healthcare data.

By actively engaging with new and existing data providers, we strive to expand our datasets for enhancing patient care, sustaining the NHS, and supporting research and innovation.

Our existing datasets

Born in Bradford

Born in Bradford (BiB) has expanded to 50,000 participants and has deeplyphenotyped and widely linked data with extensive –omics.

Connected Bradford

CBradford is a regional research database that links health, education, social care, environmental data in a nationally trailblazing population digital repository.

CUREd

CUREd, a linked dataset of the urgent and emergency care system, which covers 5m-plus people and follows complete patient journeys from the point of a 111 or 999 call.

National Pathology Imaging Cooperative (NPIC)

NPIC scanning over 2.3m images each year in over 40 hospitals as part of a unique collaboration between NHS, academic and industry partners.

Yorkshire and Humber Care Records (YHCR)

YHCR enabling real-time healthcare information to be transmitted across multiple providers to support direct care and population health management.

Leeds Cancer Dataset

Leeds Cancer Dataset collecting detailed information on cancer referral, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for more than 15 years.

How the Y&H SDE works

The Y&H SDE is a federated model that allows the local control of the data by local providers. Equally, with consent from local data providers, the Y&H SDE can carry out all their functions on their behalf.

Once both the researcher and the project are verified and approved, the datasets are securely provided for the relevant research purposes. Before the data can be used, it undergoes de-identification, ensuring that sensitive personal information is replaced with pseudonyms to safeguard individual privacy.

In case researchers have any questions or require clarification regarding provided datasets, the Y&H SDE encourages collaboration between researchers and data providers.

When the research project is completed, the data is removed from the SDE. Researchers are allowed to obtain an anonymous summary of the data analysis conducted within the SDE and include any findings or insights within the metadata of the used datasets.

Check how we keep the NHS data secure in Our Security Promise.

SDE Visualisation

Public involvement and engagement is the core to our approach and has shaped the development of our SDE. We are committed to ensure that everyone is fully informed about how their data is used. Therefore, we are bringing together a network of people to share knowledge and information.

By joining our discussions, you’ll help shape the Y&H SDE to improve healthcare research in our region and beyond. This is your data, and your voice matters.