Small Area Health Statistics Unit Research Database - 2022 REC
Research type
Research Database
IRAS ID
312232
Contact name
Paul Elliott
Contact email
Research summary
Small Area Health Statistics Unit Research Database (REC)
REC name
London - South East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/LO/0256
Date of REC Opinion
30 May 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion
Data collection arrangements
The Small Area Health Statistics unit receives data from several data providers. As of March 2022, the unit holds data from NHS Digital, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Public Health England (PHE), Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (WCISU), NHS National Services Scotland, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, and the UK Department of Education. NHS Digital provides us with Admitted Patient Care, Emergency Care, Critical Care, HES/Civil Registration Mortality, and General Practice Extraction Service data for COVID-19 planning and research. We are looking into acquiring birth notifications, previously supplied by ONS. ONS provides us with live births, stillbirths mortality registrations data. PHE and WCISU have provided us with cancer incidences/treatment for England and Wales. NHS National Services Scotland has provided us with a one-off cancer data extract for a surveillance project. The Cystic Fibrosis Registry UK has provided us data for individuals who have been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. The UK Department for Education has provided us with a one-off data extract that includes data items from the Pupil Level School Census for Greater London. Data extracts are transferred from data providers' secure electronic file transfer systems to our secure research environment as soon as they are made available.
Research programme
SAHSU was established in 1987 and it has acquired an international reputation as a centre of excellence for small-area studies on the impact of the environment on health. SAHSU’s multi-disciplinary team undertakes research studies on the impact of the environment (for example, electromagnetic fields, transport-related air and noise pollution and social factors) on health and undertakes methodological research. In this work SAHSU uses national routinely collected information from organisations including NHS Digital and the Office for National Statistics. The data used by SAHSU are about outcomes including births, deaths, hospital admissions, cancer registrations and education. The work of SAHSU has a demonstrable impact on public health policy and is designed to contribute to the remit of the UK Health Security Agency. SAHSU collaborates extensively with other departments within Imperial College and with external institutions in the UK, Europe and internationally.
Research database title
Small Area Health Statistics Unit Research Database (REC)
Establishment organisation
Small Area Health Statistics Unit (SAHSU), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London
Establishment organisation address
5th Floor, Medical School Building, Norfolk Place
St Mary's Campus
London
W2 1PG