Innovating with Data. Transforming Communities

We are a proud part of our regional collaboration to deliver better health outcomes and research in the North West

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Lancashire and South Cumbria

Lancashire and South Cumbria are home to nearly 1.8 million people, each with unique needs, experiences, and opportunities. Data and conversations with local residents show that factors influencing health and wellbeing vary widely across our communities. From daily life and local resources to broader social and economic conditions, these differences shape not only individual experiences but also health outcomes – including life expectancy.

We want to support a health system that makes us cutting edge in both new innovations and ensuring all our residents get the best care.

Colour-coded map of North West England, highlighting South Cumbria (dark purple), Lancashire (purple), Greater Manchester (blue), Merseyside (orange), and Cheshire (yellow)

Our Guiding Principles – The Five Safes Framework

An icon representing 'Safe People' from the Five Safes framework, depicting four interconnected outline figures, with three in yellow to symbolise authorised and trained individuals
Safe People
An icon representing 'Safe Projects' from the Five Safes framework, featuring a document with lines of text, a cube symbol, and a lightbulb, indicating well-defined, ethical, and approved data use projects.
Safe Projects
An icon representing 'Safe Data' from the Five Safes framework, showing two document icons with bar charts and a pink/magenta cube with arrows between them, symbolizing properly protected and appropriately anonymised data
Safe Data
An icon representing 'Safe Settings' from the Five Safes framework, displaying gear icons and three horizontal sliders with blue circular controls, representing secure environments and appropriate access controls
Safe Settings
An icon representing 'Safe Outputs' from the Five Safes framework, showing a document with a green bar chart and gear icon, indicating reviewed results that minimize disclosure risk.
Safe Outputs

Using our Secure Data Environment for more than Research

The Lancashire and South Cumbria Secure Data Environment (SDE) Programme is pushing the boundaries of what the SDE can do. From the beginning, it has been designed with the full spectrum of healthcare in mind. We want to support not only researchers but also doctors, nurses, managers, and, crucially, you, the public, and our patients.

A flowchart diagram illustrating a healthcare data continuum with five connected stages: (1) A blue circle showing 'Self-care and improved wellbeing' with a heart and hand icon, flowing to (2) An orange circle representing 'Individual Care' with a person icon, connected to (3) A green circle showing 'Population health and proactive care' with networked people icons. This leads to (4) A magenta/pink circle representing 'Planning, oversight and system oversight' with a map and route marker, finally connecting to (5) A yellow circle showing 'Clinical and trusted research environments' with a lightbulb and gear icon. The entire flow is labeled across the top with three progressive stages: 'Individual care → Population Health → Research'.

Our SDE is built to be vital in enhancing business intelligence and population health functions within the region, too.​ We want to make efficient use of our data and our data infrastructure. Aiming to build one excellent system with many features. Rather than many fragmented systems all competing for resources and skills. To make our SDE useful in this way, we had a significant challenge to overcome. Creating near-real-time data flows. Unlike research, which can often look at data that is months or even years out of date and still be useful. Such as understanding a disease or exploring drug side effects. Service delivery decisions need current data to support day-to-day operations.

The team developing our SDE was recognised for its excellence in this space and pushing forward with this innovative approach. They had succeeded in creating one of the first systems that is both refreshed daily and on a “common data model”. As a result, they were awarded Health Data Research UK’s “Team of the Year”.

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