Privacy is at the heart of the South West Secure Data Environment
The South West Secure Data Environment’s (SDE) newly formed Data Access Committee is a key part of our commitment to privacy and security. It aims to safeguard the public interest, and build and maintain public trust.
The importance of keeping public and patient data safe is in the spotlight this week with Data Privacy Day UK taking place today, Wednesday 28 January.
The committee’s core function is to review and approve which studies can go forward to access sensitive health and care data, such as healthcare records, through the South West SDE.
The committee is made up of experts in clinical practice, privacy, ethics and research, alongside members of the public known as Digital Critical Friends, who make up more than 40% of the committee.
Committee members are chosen for their neutrality and lack of connection to the South West SDE. This means they can make the best decisions about proposed projects in the interest of patients and the public.
The Chair is Dr Kathy Ryan, GP, Medical Director and Caldicott Guardian at BrisDoc, and the Deputy Chair is Professor Jonathan Ives, Professor of Bioethics and Deputy Head of Bristol Medical School. They said:
“The Secure Data Environment has been built to provide an additional level of privacy and security for patient data used in research. The committee’s job is to check and approve projects to ensure they’re in the public interest.
“Only then will the data be made available within the SDE. Researchers can only access what is necessary for their project.”
The committee meets every month. If you want to know more, email our Data Access Lead, Amy Dillon.