Data and services
We can help you to more easily access and make use of the health and social care data you need.
We help you to make better use of health and social care data. If you have specific data analysis tasks you need carrying out we can follow your brief. Or, if you need guidance, we can advise on best practice to follow.
If you’re interested in working with us, get in contact
Access data for research
The Data Connect team can help research groups to securely access and process health and social care data from different data providers.
In instances where providers share or transfer their data, access will be provided within the University’s Secure Data Service. This is where specifically requested data is securely transferred from the provider’s data store to the University's secure data environment.
Where data providers will not share or transfer data, we can support researchers to access the data through the providers own Secure Data Environment.
The following data requests can be supported:
New isolated data sets
Data will be brought into the University Secure Data Environment where it can be accessed by approved researchers.
A new research database
Data Connect will facilitate the provision and management of large and complex research databases that can be utilised by other research groups. Through defined and approved governance, managed by Data Connect, researcher groups may gain access to curated subsets of the data.
Curated data sets from an existing database
Access is provided to a curated dataset from an existing research database for single use projects to answer specific approved research questions. Access to existing research databases can be relatively quick, assuming the data is available and the research project can be approved through a pre-specified process.
More information on curated data sets
Existing curated databases:
- CUREd+ database
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The CUREd+ research database includes national hospital data from NHS England, with regional data for Yorkshire linking to the Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) data. This includes electronic patient records data, 999 and 111 data. Additionally for patients using YAS services, prescription and address data will be available.
To find out more information and to apply to use the CUREd+ database, visit the CUREd+ data website.
Full research lifecycle support
Data Connect offers researchers a full suite of support services throughout the research lifecycle - including technical, legal and contractual guidance. This can reduce your administrative burden, leaving you more time to focus on the research itself.
Plan your research
We can help support your research planning - advising and supporting with aspects of data acquisition and management.
- Find relevant data
- Using our internal knowledge we can suggest appropriate data sources and datasets
- Data and Project Management
- Identifying and applying for data, and preparing data specifications
- Managing research projects
- Public and patient involvement and engagement (PPIE) support
- We have direct links to provide you with input from members of the public or patients. Read more on our public involvement
- Funding support
- Identifying grant opportunities and writing bids
- Public and patient involvement and engagement support
Apply for data
When submitting an application to access data we can help you:
- Understand the legal basis for data access
- Complete a Data Management Plan
- Complete Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) and Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) documents
Access and analyse data
We can help you to host and work with your data:
- Technical data support, including:
- Hosting data in the University’s Secure Data Service
- Data cleaning and processing
- Support to access other (non-University of Sheffield) Trusted Research Environments and Secure Data Environments, including:
- NHS England (formerly NHS Digital)
- HDRUK Health Data Research Hubs - access data through any of the HDRUK Health Data Research Hubs or to find health data through their metadata repository, the HDRUK Innovation Gateway
- Data platform management
- Access to the University of Sheffield Secure Data Environment
Virtual machine configuration to meet computational needs
- Access to the University of Sheffield Secure Data Environment
- Data deletion at project end
- Confirmation that all project data is removed from the Secure Data Environment
- Support to complete data deletion certificate
Make connections
From our previous work collaborating with organisations across the region, we can help connect you with:
- Academics and research groups
- Regional public health experts, policy makers and practitioners
- Regional social care experts, policy makers and practitioners
- Funding agencies
- Public and patient contributors