Cambridge, 23 March 2026

The Eastern England Secure Data Environment (SDE) today formally launches as a single, unified research platform, bringing together the East of England and East Midlands SDEs to form one of the largest regional health data research initiatives in England.

Funded by NHS England and hosted by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Eastern England SDE represents a population of almost 12 million people. It is part of the national NHS Research SDE Network, a coordinated system of regional services designed to give approved researchers and innovators safer, faster access to de-identified NHS data to enable world-class health research.

Protecting patient privacy and maintaining public trust are central to the design of the Eastern England SDE. The platform meets strict NHS data security and compliance standards and incorporates industry-leading cyber security protections. Data is only made available within the secure research environment for approved studies, following a formal data access application process. Applications are reviewed by a committee that is made up of 50% patient and public representatives and assessed using the recognised Five Safes Framework (safe people, safe projects, safe settings, safe data, safe outputs).

The launch represents more than a change in scale. It creates a new route for researchers and life sciences companies to identify patient cohorts and run studies using NHS data.

Secure access to rich, standardised data

The SDE is live and supporting several clinical research studies. Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was the first NHS data partner to make its data securely available via the platform. Over a decade of de-identified, curated, longitudinal health data including diagnostic results, prescribing data, and secondary care patient events are available to approved research studies using the platform. This depth and consistency of data is rarely available at this scale via a single governance model. Plans are in place to expand NHS partnerships across the region and enable secure access to more diverse datasets to support impactful research for researchers and industry partners.

Three advances at launch

The Eastern England SDE launches with three significant capabilities:

  • A streamlined governance model where researchers apply once, through a single route, to request access to NHS data from multiple participating sites.
  • A cohort discovery tool that finds eligible patients in hours, not months.
  • A live, NHS-owned research platform.

What this means for researchers and clinical trialists

For pharmaceutical companies, academic groups and health technology innovators, the Eastern England SDE addresses one of the biggest barriers to research: secure and timely access to high-quality clinical data. Rapid cohort discovery reduces feasibility timelines. Standardised, longitudinal data from multiple NHS sites reduces cost and complexity in multi-site studies. The secure, flexible environment means researchers can bring their own data, test AI models, assess medical device feasibility, and collaborate all within a single platform.

“The Eastern England SDE provides one of the strongest environments for testing and running research studies using health data. It offers a safe, trusted space that enables regional organisations to participate in national research initiatives, while keeping sensitive data within the NHS. What really matters is the platform and environment. The SDE’s platform-as-a-service model brings well-tested, validated processes for data quality, compliance and assurance, providing confidence that data is being handled to safe standards.”

Christie Brooks, Chief Data Officer, Arcturis Data

Built for patient benefits

The Eastern England SDE exists to improve outcomes for patients whose data makes this research possible. Only studies with a clear line-of-sight to patient benefit are eligible, all data used for research is de-identified, and patients retain the right to opt out.

Public and patient involvement has shaped the design of the SDE from the outset, with patient representatives and organisations such as Healthwatch helping to inform governance, transparency and communication with the public. This engagement continues through ongoing involvement in oversight and decision-making, ensuring the SDE operates in ways that deliver clear public benefit.

“Knowing that my data could help find better treatments for others is something I feel proud of. What matters to me is that it is used carefully, with proper oversight, and that patients have a real say in how it is used. The Eastern England SDE gives me confidence that those standards are being taken seriously.”

Roseanna Fenessy, Patient Representative

Supporting the UK’s life sciences and research ambitions

The Eastern England SDE is designed to strengthen the national health data research ecosystem, supporting the ambitions of the NHS 10-Year Plan, the new Health Data Research Service (HDRS), and the national SDE network. By enabling secure access to high-quality NHS data across a large and diverse population, the SDE helps position the UK as a leader in health research, clinical trials and life sciences innovation.

“For too long research has stalled because of the fragmentation and lack of suitably secure spaces to access and analyse data at scale, meaning patients miss out on discoveries that could improve their lives. By bringing together the expertise across the East of England and East Midlands regions, we’re creating a unique regional asset for research, clinical trials and life sciences innovation. Our focus now is to expand this capability so that more patients and more organisations can benefit from the research it enables.”

Mark Avery, Director of the Eastern England SDE