As good progress continues to be made developing the London Secure Data Environment Professor Ian Abbs, Executive Chair of Health Data for London, explains how it will be a world-leading health data ecosystem benefitting patients, society and industry across the Capital and beyond (31 October 2025).

Shaping the future of data-driven health innovation in London

We stand on the cusp of something remarkable for London. 

Our city is home to some of the world’s leading hospitals, universities, research institutes and industry. It is also home to 10 million people – a diverse population that reflects a global population, all within one city.

With this diversity comes a unique opportunity: to collaborate to make London not just the healthiest global city, but the most innovative city in the world.

To realise that ambition, we must use a vitally important but underutilised resource – our integrated data. For years we’ve talked about the potential of joined up, high-quality health data to transform care, accelerate discovery, and drive innovation. Now, through our partnerships between the NHS, academia, industry, and citizens, this vision is becoming a reality. 

Next month, during London Life Sciences Week, colleagues from across our health and research community will come together to celebrate the progress we’ve made and to look ahead to what’s next. We will be sharing the progress of London’s Secure Data Environment (SDE), which underpins a shared commitment from London’s healthcare leaders to build a world-leading health data ecosystem that benefits patients, society, and industry across the capital and further afield. 

The journey so far

This is a journey that has been years in the making. Since 2019, London has hosted one of Health Data Research UK hubs for real world evidence. This made use of linked data from North West London to support health improvement, planning, and research. The London SDE will now scale that model to cover the whole of the capital.

That success at scaling a tried and tested model has been built through meaningful collaboration across our NHS organisations, academic partners, and industry — and, crucially, with London’s citizens. This includes extensive deliberation with the public on the use of health and care data. Londoners have told us clearly that they expect their data to be used to improve care delivery, support strategic planning and enable clinical and commercial research. They have said that this should happen within a clear regional ‘diameter of trust’, with robust technical and governance protections, and with options for individuals to opt-out.

Having received that public instruction, we have benefitted from the strong participation of London’s general practices, Integrated Care Boards, and the national Data for R&D programme to make it happen. This means the London SDE will host more than 10 million patient records, allowing teams to apply to access data securely where their projects can demonstrate public benefit.

Towards the largest repository of health data in Europe

We are progressing well towards the full-scale launch of the London SDE in April next year. London’s scale, diversity, and creativity give us an opportunity to achieve something extraordinary but will only be achieved by working together. The London SDE is the vital next stage of this journey.

Find out more about the London SDE here.