Health Data: Research and Analysis

Lord Davies of Brixton Excerpts

Wednesday 15th May 2024 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Davies of Brixton]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what progress they have made in implementing the recommendations of Professor Ben Goldacre in his report Better, broader, safer: using health data for research and analysis, published in April 2022.

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

My Lords, the Government responded to the Goldacre review with Data Saves Lives, a data strategy which addressed the majority of the review’s recommendations. Over two-thirds of the strategy’s commitments have been delivered, many of which act on the Goldacre review’s recommendations. A significant proportion were centred on adopting secure data environments—SDEs. There has been significant progress on adopting SDEs in England, including significant investment through the data research and development programme.

[Lord Davies of Brixton (Lab)]

I thank the Minister for his helpful reply. I am still concerned that there has been a loss of momentum in this fast-developing field, with the development of AI over the past two years since the report was produced, as well as the discussions under the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill. Can the Minister assure me that there will be a review of this work to see what has to be updated? Will he discuss, with his ministerial colleagues, what lessons can be learned and taken into account in producing the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill?

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

My Lords, the noble Lord is right to push the Government on this, and I pay tribute to the knowledge he brings to this House on this important subject. I reassure him that the Goldacre principles inspire our ongoing work to ensure that data for research is used in an ever more secure and transparent way. Secure data environments are a major change in the way data is made available for research, and it remains a government commitment to implement their use. SDEs protect personal medical data, as it can be accessed only by verified researchers. The NHS can monitor data usage, and we can limit the data that is analysed and control the purposes for which data is used. Research must always have ethical approval and be in line with UK GDPR.