How and why we process health data

To gain access to, process, store and analyse birth, death files and Hospital Episode Statistics appropriately and safely we do the following:

• Whether identifiable, pseudonymisation or anonymised data, is restricted to those staff members who have signed the appropriate NHS Digital data access agreements. The data are stored on our IT network at a location that is restricted to those staff.
• Data are encrypted and are password protected.
• Access to the source identifiable data is restricted to those staff who have been nominated as data processors.
• For those staff engaged in secondary analysis, we have removed the identifiable data, as this is not routinely required for the permitted uses of the data.
• Should we need to link data sets we request NHS Digital, our permitted third party data processor, to undertake the data linking.
• Publication of the results of secondary data analysis are limited to the permitted purposes aggregated in line with our Data Access Agreement with NHS Digital and ONS rules on the uses of health-based statistical data and disclosure.
• Information is only used for the purpose(s) described above and use will meet the criteria and principles established in the ONS Disclosure Control Guidance for Birth and Death Statistics.
• We are not permitted to, or have no business need to, link the deaths and births data directly with any other data. We do, however, assimilate the data with other sources of data, information and evidence in order to carry out our public health responsibilities.