Top 10 UK Healthcare Datasets for NHS and Pharmaceutical Analysts and How to Use Them

Data is the lifeblood of the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry. It provides critical insights for improving NHS resource utilisation and patient outcomes and enhancing drug development and market access strategies. In the UK, high-quality, open-source healthcare datasets offer healthcare analysts a wealth of information that can be harnessed to do this. At Eye4Health Ltd, we specialise in helping the NHS pharmaceutical companies make the most of these resources, turning raw data into actionable insights. This post explores the top 10 UK healthcare datasets and how they can be leveraged.

1. Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)

What It Is: Managed by NHS Digital, HES is a comprehensive dataset that captures information on hospital admissions, outpatient appointments, and A&E visits in England. It includes data on diagnosis, treatment, and patient demographics.

How to Use It: The NHS strictly governs the use of HES data, which must only be used for the benefit of the NHS and improving patient outcomes. HES data is invaluable for analysing patient pathways, treatment patterns, and outcomes. Healthcare analysts can use it to:

• Track the real-world effectiveness of drugs.

• Identify potential gaps in care that NICE-approved therapies could address.

• Develop cost-effectiveness studies by linking hospitalisation data with medication usage.

• Produce pathway improvement models

2. Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD)

What It Is: The Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) is a significant UK-based database that provides anonymised primary care records from general practices. It is a rich epidemiological and pharmaceutical research resource, offering data on diagnoses, prescriptions, and patient demographics.

How to Use It: For analysts, CPRD offers:

• Epidemiological Insights: Access to comprehensive patient records allows for the study of disease prevalence, incidence, and risk factors, aiding in developing targeted healthcare interventions.

• Medication Safety and Effectiveness Studies: Analysts can evaluate the real-world safety and efficacy of medication, supporting post-marketing surveillance and pharmacovigilance efforts

• Health Outcomes Research: The database supports studies on health outcomes and healthcare utilisation, providing evidence for improving health policy and clinical practice.

Access to CPRD is restricted to approved research teams and projects, ensuring data privacy and compliance with ethical standards.

3. Fingertips

What It Is: An interactive platform by Public Health England that offers access to hundreds of health and wellbeing indicators, including life expectancy, mental health prevalence, and health inequalities.

How to Use It: Analysts can use Fingertips data to:

• Explore regional variations in health outcomes and target campaigns for NICE-approved interventions based on areas with the greatest public health needs.

• Conduct in-depth research into specific health conditions and the socioeconomic factors affecting them.

• Monitor changes in public health metrics over time to assess the long-term impact of interventions.

4. Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF)

What It Is: QOF data captures information on chronic disease management in primary care. It tracks 59 indicators across 21 clinical areas, including diabetes, hypertension, and asthma, highlighting primary care clinical practice variations.

How to Use It: QOF data is crucial for understanding the prevalence and management of chronic diseases. Analysts can:

• Identify high-prevalence areas for specific conditions where patients would benefit from NICE-approved interventions

• Combine QOF data with other data sets to analyse the effectiveness of existing treatments by assessing clinical outcomes across commissioning areas.

• Develop models that align new pharmaceutical interventions with primary care needs, enhancing their value proposition.

5. National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS)

What It Is: NCRAS compiles data on cancer incidence, survival rates, RTT and treatment outcomes across the UK.

How to Use It: For teams specialising in oncology, NCRAS is essential for:

• Analysing the effectiveness of cancer treatments and survival outcomes.

• Identifying gaps in current treatment pathways where new interventions could significantly impact.

• Building robust evidence for cancer drug approvals through detailed, real-world data.

6. Primary Care Prescribing Data

What It Is: Provided by NHS Digital, the ePACT2 dataset includes information on prescriptions issued by GPs and other NHS prescribers across England (data for the devolved nations is also available).

How to Use It: This dataset is critical for understanding prescribing trends and medication adherence. Healthcare analysts can use it to:

• Monitor the uptake of new drugs and compare them to other products in the same therapeutic area

• Identify high variations in the uptake of NICE-approved medicines.

• Study patient adherence patterns, providing insights into patient behaviour and potential intervention points.

7. Secondary Care Medicines Data (SCMD)

What It Is: The Secondary Care Medicines Data (SCMD) is a comprehensive database that captures information on medicines prescribed and administered in secondary care settings within the UK. This database is crucial for understanding medication use patterns in hospitals and other secondary care facilities.

How to Use It: This database is invaluable for:

• Hospital Medicine Utilisation Analysis: Analysts can track medication use in hospital settings, identifying prescription trends and variations.

• Treatment Pathway Evaluation: SCMD provides data to assess treatment pathways and outcomes, supporting the optimisation of therapeutic strategies in secondary care.

• Pharmacoeconomic Studies: The database facilitates cost-effectiveness analyses of hospital-administered drugs, aiding in budget impact assessments and resource allocation decisions.

8. Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF)

What It Is: Public Health England (now transitioning to the UK Health Security Agency) provides PHOF data on various public health indicators, including mortality rates, disease prevalence, and health inequalities.

How to Use It: PHOF data allows analysts to:

• Identify health disparities and tailor interventions to underserved populations.

• Develop public health initiatives aligned with government health improvement targets.

• Assess the impact of their products on broader public health outcomes, providing evidence for health economic and pathway improvement models.

9. Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS)

What It Is: This dataset covers the care provided to patients using mental health, learning disabilities, and autism services. It offers insights into service utilisation, treatment outcomes, and patient demographics.

How to Use It: With the rise in mental health awareness and treatment options, MHSDS provides healthcare analysts with:

• Data to study the effectiveness of psychiatric medications and mental health interventions.

• Insights into service provision and potential areas for therapeutic development.

• Real-world evidence on mental health outcomes

10. ClinicalTrials.gov

What It Is: ClinicalTrials.gov is a comprehensive international database that provides detailed information on clinical trials conducted worldwide, including those in the UK. It serves as a crucial resource for tracking the progress and outcomes of clinical research across various therapeutic areas.

How to Use It: This database is invaluable for:

• Clinical Trial Tracking: Analysts can monitor ongoing and completed clinical trials, gaining insights into trial design, participant demographics, and therapeutic interventions.

• Comparative Effectiveness Research: ClinicalTrials.gov provides data to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatment options, supporting evidence-based healthcare decision-making.

• Regulatory and Market Analysis: The database facilitates assessments of the clinical trial landscape, aiding in regulatory submissions and strategic planning for market entry.

The public can access Clinicaltrials.gov. This website provides transparency and promotes collaboration in clinical research while ensuring compliance with ethical standards and regulatory requirements.

Conclusion: Empowering Improvements in NHS Resourse Untilisation, Patient Outcomes and Research with UK Health Data

The UK’s healthcare datasets provide analysts with powerful tools for innovation and strategic planning. The potential applications are vast, from understanding patient pathways in HES data to leveraging clinical insights from the Fingertips and CPRD datasets. Eye4Health Ltd specialises in helping the NHS, pharmaceutical companies and data analysts navigate these resources, transforming raw data into actionable insights that drive business growth and improve patient outcomes. Please try out our links directory to see what other resources are available: https://www.eye4health.com/links-directory

Ready to unlock the full potential of UK healthcare data? Contact Eye4Health today to learn how we can support you.