The Goldacre Review was published in April 2022 [link here]. The review, commissioned by the Secretary State for Health and Social Care, outlines how to achieve better, broader, and safer use of health data for research and analysis. We have produced an infographic of the 30 summary recommendations highlighted in the review.

The review is a set of 185 detailed recommendations published in response to interviews with over 300 individuals, focus groups, and over 100 written submissions. The recommendations set out how the Government can increase data transparency by adopting Trusted Research Environments (TREs). CF has previously published a beginners guide to TREs [link here]. In addition, the review outlines how we can improve opportunities for data analysts within the NHS and encourage open working with NHS data by reducing duplication and increasing consistency.

A key recommendation of the Goldacre Review, to adopt TREs as a route for analysing NHS data, has been acknowledged by the Government through recent investment to enable improved data access for research [link here]. The Government will respond to the Goldacre review in the forthcoming data strategy, initially published in draft in June 2021 and summarised by CF here [link here].

Better, broader, safer: using health data for research and analysis.

Professor Ben Goldacre’s review into how the efficient and safe use of health data for research and analysis can benefit patients and the healthcare sector.