On 16th July, the UK Government published its Life Sciences Sector Plan, which sets out how the Government aims to align its Industrial Strategy – published last month – with its health mission. On the heels of the 10 Year Health Plan published earlier this month, the Life Sciences Sector Plan provides further clarity on some previously announced policies. Read on to learn more about what the Plan has in store for data and reflections from Policy and Engagement Manager Emma Lagerstedt.
Health Data Research Service
As previously announced, the Health Data Research Service aims to provide faster, secure access to health data for research by providing a single access point to curated “AI-ready” datasets across general practice, hospital episode statistics and others linked to pathology, radiology and genomic data. What’s new in the Plan is milestones for implementation. A minimum viable version of the service is expected to go live sometime in 2026, with the organisation itself up and running in Spring 2026 and new datasets added from December 2026.
Reform to processes for accessing health data for research and secondary purposes
The Plan includes a commitment to using “a combination of policy and legislative change to speed up access to health data for research and other secondary purposes”. This was previously trailed in the 10 Year Health Plan and will include reform to the current Health Service (Control of Patient Information) Regulations of 2002 as well as reforms to the wider NHS research data access and approvals and governance system, both by the end of 2026.
By the end of 2027, the Government aims to move towards new national and regional models of decision making for access to data for secondary purposes for all data including GP record data – as opposed to the current system wherein GPs are responsible for making decisions about data from their patients’ records – in line with recommendations from the recent National Engagement on Data.
These reforms are said to better reflect risk and safeguards around data, streamline existing processes, and will aim to establish a common framework for accessing data across all four nations of the UK.
Expansion of consented cohort studies’ research datasets
Consented cohort studies Our Future Health, UK Biobank, and Genomics England are set to receive a combined total of up to £1.024 billion to expand datasets, facilitate clinical trials and improve linking of data. Genomics England will also deliver a new Adult Population Genomics Programme which will sequence the genomes of 150,000 people for routine preventative care, and the NHS Genomic Medicine Service will roll out a Unified Genomic Record to integrate genomic data with relevant clinical and diagnostic data.
Understanding Patient Data responds
Understanding Patient Data welcomes the additional clarity on implementation and timelines. After the 10 Year Health Plan was published without a chapter on implementation or clear milestones for delivery, it is welcome to see the Life Sciences Sector Plan provide some clarity on when landmark health data reforms and initiatives are likely to be delivered. The announcement of an annual Implementation Update and a Life Sciences Delivery Board to drive progress and assess delivery are also a positive step.
The changes outlined in the Plan suggest a major shift in how patient data will be accessed and changed in the future – and at an ambitious pace. This presents an opportunity to learn from previous data policy announcements that have struggled to build staff and public confidence and win public trust, particularly on cyber security and safeguards against misuse.
With NHS England – the current central body overseeing data governance in England - being abolished on a similar timeframe as the commitments in the Plan and other major NHS reforms on the way, it will be especially important to ensure there is strong leadership and robust mechanisms in place to ensure transparency and public engagement are central to the Plan’s implementation. Getting these foundations right will be essential to unlocking the potential of health data for research and innovation in a way that earns trust and reflects public expectations.