A new national purpose: Harnessing data for health (21 May 2024)

Summary

The NHS is the world’s largest publicly funded health service. It is also the world’s largest repository of healthcare data, but these data are fragmented and underutilised. Making them accessible in one place would improve health and deliver wealth for the nation. This report by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change proposes the creation of a National Data Trust (NDT)—an organisation which would be majority-owned and controlled by the government and the NHS, together with investment from industry partners. It would aim to connect NHS data, attract private investment in new medical discoveries and bring the economic benefits of health innovation to citizens. The authors believe the NDT would accelerate the NHS’s development of cutting-edge innovations, provide quicker access to these advancements at reduced costs and generate a new funding source for the healthcare system.