BSMS > Research > Primary care and public health > Unlocking-data

Unlocking data

The Unlocking Data project aims to inform public health policy and practice in Kent, Surrey and Sussex (KSS) by exploring barriers, and creating solutions, for public health intelligence using integrated datasets.

It is funded by the Public Health Research Programme in the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR project number 133761).

Watch our short video below featuring researchers from BSMS and participants in the project discuss their views about sharing their health data and what this means to them.

What do these words mean?

Public Health is about helping people to stay healthy and protecting them from threats to their health. It is a branch of healthcare that doesn’t treat individual patients but plans services for the whole population of a city, town or county in order to help everyone be more healthy. Public health teams are employed in local councils (also called local authorities).

Public Health intelligence is processing, analysing and interpreting data about local people’s health to make sure services are planned based on the best evidence of what local people need and what will work best.

Integrated datasets are databases of information drawn from health services (provided by the NHS) and social care services (provided by councils). Data on people who use the service (patients or service users) is anonymised and linked together in a secure location. People who plan services and decide how money is spent in the local area can analyse these rich sources of data to plan the best services for that place.

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is a national funder of health and care research, working closely with the NHS to ensure constant improvements in health and healthcare. It is funded by the UK government through the Department of Health and Social Care.

The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. a slide with logos of the partner institutions involved including BSMS, university of sussex, university of kent and university of surrey

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

Latest news

Researchers consult with citizens about 'unlocking health data'

Researchers at BSMS are involved in a project that consults with citizens on unlocking health data. In the South East England region of Kent, Surrey and Sussex (KSS), parts of the NHS are being joined together for the first time and are working on using NHS patient data to help understand the health needs of their populations. The NHS is also working closely with the county and city councils, which employ teams working in public health. These teams hope to use the joined-up NHS patient data to understand which local communities are at risk of poorer health, so they can design strategies to meet communities’ needs.

Read the full story here >

Read the study in full here >

What does the Unlocking Data project aim to do?

This project aims to support and develop skills in using data for planning public health services by:

Improving data analysis skills in Kent, Sussex and Surrey (KSS) public health teams
Solving current problems around linking different sources of data together
Understanding how we can involve the public in deciding
- how different health and administrative data can be linked and stored safely,
- what types of projects should be carried out using data
- how the public should be informed about datasets and involved in decision making.

a woman pointing at post it notes on a board while other people look

Why does data need to be 'unlocked'?

Local authorities (LAs) in England are responsible for improving the health of their local population. This work is led by public health (PH) teams.

In Kent, Surrey and Sussex, the LAs want to improve services for communities. They also want to find ways to improve health. They want to do this by joining up (or linking) data from health, social care, housing and education services. Linked datasets have been started, but LAs have some barriers which stop them using the data fully.

Firstly, PH teams do not have analysts with advanced data analysis skills to answer complex data questions. Secondly, there are difficulties in linking different types of non-health data (housing, education) with health and social care data (social services, GP records). Thirdly, local Integrated Care Systems (ICS), who plan and fund local health and care services and manage datasets, do not currently know how the public feel about their data being linked together and used to improve services and public health.

Better ways of involving the public, that are informed by public views, need to be put in place.

What we did in the project

We brought together data scientists at universities with members of public health teams, database teams, and public representatives. This new group gathered to discuss challenges, barriers and create solutions to using available data in the best way to improve the public’s health.
We trained up public health analysts to solve problems of local public needs through the use of existing data. They were trained by university data scientists. The analyst in Kent focused on the use of different sources of data to understand what things affect the public’s health e.g. the types of environment people live in. The analyst in Sussex looked at using available data to spot earlier opportunities to keep people well and independent for longer.
We held public discussion groups to find out what people thought about the use of health and other data to improve services. This research advised the ICS on how to be clear and trustworthy about data use. It will also suggested ways the public can be included in decision-making around using data.

On 26 April 2022, the Unlocking Data project team shared the research results from the project, which took place in Kent, Surrey and Sussex. The event was aimed at those who were part of the project, a participant in the research focus groups or interested in sharing health data. Kathryn Stanley, Research Assistant at BSMS, led the discussion on the research findings. Watch a recording from the event below to find out more.

a black and white image of a stethoscope

Get involved

I want to ask the team a question:

View our Padlet here >

I’m a data stakeholder (working in a local authority, NHS, ICS, university or other interested organisation) and want to join the KSS community of practice around datasets:

Email us here >

Meet the team

Dr Elizabeth Ford

Melanie Rees-Roberts smiling head and shoulders photograph

Dr Melanie Rees-Roberts

Kathryn Stanley

Katie Goddard

Our team includes:

Ms Victoria Spencer-Hughes, East Sussex County Council

Dr Abraham George, Kent County Council

Dr Jo Armes, University of Surrey

Prof Jackie Cassell, Brighton and Sussex Medical School

Prof Anotida Madzvamuse, University of Sussex

Prof Chris Farmer, University of Kent

Ms Sarah Giles, Lay co-applicant

Dr Gurprit Pannu, Sussex Health and Care Partnership

Katherine Church, Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership

Kate Gilchrist, Brighton and Hove City Council

Melanie Dumelow, East Sussex County Council

Jane Lodge, Sussex NHS Commissioners

Pippa Shaw, ARC KSS

Data citation

Image contains the following text: "Understanding Patient Data. This work uses data provided by patients and collected by the NHS as part of their care and support"

Contact us

For any further information about the Unlocking Data project, contact the team via email below.

Email the team here >