Health data hubs set to ‘speed up’ medical research

Patient data could soon be more accessible to researchers as seven government-backed data hubs gear up, a coalition of 22 universities and research institutes has said.

Health Data Research UK, the not-for-profit coalition leading the establishment of the hubs, promises that the initiative will “support quicker diagnoses and save lives”.

Andrew Morris, the director of the coalition, said in a statement on 12 September that the hubs would give researchers the chance to use “data at scale” to research diseases and identify trends that may ultimately play a role in finding a treatment or cure. Areas of focus will include acute care, cancer and eye health.