client logo
Version: 1.0.0 | Published: 24 Mar 2026 | Updated: 16 days ago

Secure Data Environment for CVD-COVID-UK / COVID-IMPACT (England)

Dataset

Summary

Description:
Linked routinely collected health datasets across the whole population of England within a secure Trusted Research Environment (TRE), replaced in 2022 by Secure Data Environment (SDE) (https://digital.nhs.uk/services/trusted-research-environment-service-for-england) provided by NHS England. These datasets are accessible to approved researchers who are members of the BHF Data Science Centre's CVD-COVID-UK consortium, and for COVID-IMPACT / National Core Studies projects.
Access Tier:
Controlled
Contact Point:
bhfdsc@hdruk.ac.uk
Health Theme:
  • Health products, technologies, data & research
  • Immunization & vaccine-preventable diseases
  • Health systems, quality, care models & determinants
  • Life-course health: maternal, newborn, child, adolescent & ageing
  • Noncommunicable diseases – metabolic & cardiopulmonary
  • Mental, neurological & substance use
Health Category:
  • Data from medical registries and mortality registries
  • Data from clinical trials, clinical studies & clinical investigations
  • Data on factors impacting on health, including socio-economic, environmental & behavioural determinants of health
  • Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
  • Population-based health data registries (public health registries)
Number of Unique Individuals:
57000000

Documentation

Associated Media:
https://bhfdatasciencecentre.org/areas/cvd-covid-uk-covid-impact/
https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.122.060785
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003926
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.thromres.2024.109213
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-49634-x
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kint.2022.05.015
https://doi.org/10.1177/01410768221131897
https://doi.org/10.1093/ehjqcco/qcac077
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n826
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n898
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-022-02093-0
https://doi.org/10.1136/openhrt-2024-003054
https://doi.org/10.1136/openhrt-2024-002964
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjon.2025.02.001
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004485
https://doi.org/10.1016/S2589-7500(22)00091-7
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-022-02158-7
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjmed-2023-000760
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.101037
https://doi.org/10.1016/S2589-7500(24)00253-X
https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.07.01.25330428
https://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2021-320325
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2024-001121
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2022-073639
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2024.114370
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16993-x
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-025-06844-6
https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyae068
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.101025
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-02958-1
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59951-4
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13300-023-01456-8
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-093080
https://doi.org/10.1002/ejhf.3306
https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(24)00215-9
https://doi.org/10.1177/01410768241288345
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02467-4
https://doi.org/10.1136/thorax-2024-222699
https://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2024-324918
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjmed-2024-001016
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107155
https://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2024-324470
https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.03.06.21267462
https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4972808
https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.20.21268113
https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.08.06.24311535
https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5203816
Documentation:
CVD-COVID-UK/COVID-IMPACT, co-ordinated by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Data Science Centre (https://bhfdatasciencecentre.org/), is one of the NIHR-BHF Cardiovascular Partnership’s National Flagship Projects. CVD-COVID-UK aims to understand the relationship between COVID-19 and cardiovascular diseases through analyses of de-identified, pseudonymised, linked, nationally collated health datasets across the four nations of the UK. COVID-IMPACT is an expansion of this approach in England to address research questions looking at the impact of COVID-19 on other health conditions and their related risk factors. The consortium has over 400 members across more than 50 institutions including data custodians, data scientists and clinicians, all of whom have signed up to an agreed set of principles with an inclusive, open and transparent ethos. Approved researchers access data within secure Trusted Research Environments or Secure Data Environments (TREs/SDEs) provided by NHS England (England), the National Safe Haven (Scotland), the SAIL Databank (Wales) and the Honest Broker Service (Northern Ireland). A dashboard of datasets available in each nation’s TRE/SDE can be found here: https://bhfdatasciencecentre.org/areas/cvd-covid-uk-covid-impact/ This dataset represents the linked datasets for CVD-COVID-UK/COVID-IMPACT in NHS England’s SDE for England and contains the following datasets: • GPES Data for Pandemic Planning and Research (GDPPR)(COVID-19) • Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care (HES APC) • Hospital Episode Statistics Critical Care (HES CC) • Hospital Episode Statistics Outpatients (HES OP) • Hospital Episode Statistics Accident and Emergency (HES A&E) • Secondary Uses Services Payment By Results (SUS) • Uncurated Low Latency Hospital Data (Admitted Patient Care, Outpatients, Critical Care) • Emergency Care Data Set (ECDS) • Covid-19 Second Generation Surveillance System • Covid-19 UK Non-hospital Antigen Testing Results • Covid-19 UK Non-hospital Antibody Testing Results • COVID-19 Vaccination Status • COVID-19 Vaccination Adverse Reaction • Civil Registration of Death • Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) • COVID-19 SARI-Watch (formerly CHESS) • Medicines dispensed in Primary Care (NHSBSA data) • Secondary Care Prescribed Medicines (EPMA) • NICOR Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP) • NICOR Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI) • NICOR National Heart Failure Audit (NHFA) • NICOR National Adult Cardiac Surgery Audit (NACSA) • NICOR National Audit of Cardiac Rhythm Management (NACRM) • NICOR National Congenital Heart Disease Audit (NCHDA) • NICOR Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) • Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme Clinical Dataset (SSNAP) • Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Data Set (IAPT) • Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS • Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS)

Coverage

Spatial

Spatial Coverage:
England

Temporal

Start Date:
31 March 1997
Frequency:
QUARTERLY
Date of First Release:
08 October 2024
Temporal Aggregation:
Other

Provenance

Origin

Purpose:
Care, Audit, Other
Source:
Collection Situation:
  • Clinic
  • Primary care - Clinic
  • Secondary care - Accident and Emergency
  • Secondary care - Outpatients
  • Secondary care - In-patients
  • Community
  • Prescribing - Community pharmacy
  • Secondary care - ICU
  • Prescribing - Hospital
Image Contrast:
Not stated
Quality Annotation:
https://bhfdatasciencecentre.org/dashboard/

Access and Governance

Usage

Data Use Requirements:
  • Project specific restriction
  • Publication required
  • User specific restriction
  • Time limit on use
  • Institution specific restriction
  • Collaboration required

Access

Access Rights:
https://bhfdatasciencecentre.org/areas/cvd-covid-uk-covid-impact/
Jurisdiction:
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Data Controller:
NHS England
Data Processor:
NHS England
Delivery Lead Time:
1-2 months
Legal Basis:
Research-specific restrictions
Health Data Access Body:
https://bhfdatasciencecentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/CVD-COVID-UK-COVID-IMPACT-Acknowledgements-v1.4.pdf

Format and Standards

Language:
English
Format:
  • PARQUET
  • DELTA
Conforms To:
NHS DATA DICTIONARY
Coding System:
  • OPCS4
  • SNOMED CT
  • DM+D
  • ICD10
  • OTHER
  • ICD9

Enrichment and Linkage

Tools:
https://healthdatagateway.org/en/tool/232

Data Distribution

Data Status:
Not available
Distribution:
Data is accessed within the SDE under the arrangements in place with the BHF Data Science Centre for CVD-COVID-UK / COVID-IMPACT

Observations

Name
Population Type
Value
Description
Variable Measured
Unit Code
Observation Date
Number of Records
Minimum Typical Age
Maximum Typical Age
Persons
57000000
Some datasets cover the estimated size of the population, although distinct counts over time may be in excess of this due to population turnover, population movement and in a very small proportion there may be duplication. https://bhfdsc.github.io/documentation/docs/dataset_overview/dataset_summary_table.
Distinct Count of IDs
10 May 2025
57000000
0
150

Origin

Name:
Data Catalogue
URL:
https://bm-dar-uat5-ui.metadata.works
Link:
https://bm-dar-uat5-ui.metadata.works/browser/dataset/41/0