NHS ConfedExpo: How Greater Manchester is turning data into better population health
At this year’s NHS ConfedExpo, the conversation is clear: the future of healthcare depends on how we use data, safely, responsibly and at scale, to improve lives.
Against this backdrop, Greater Manchester presented “Secure Data Environments: People, partnerships and the future of population health”, delivered by Dr Gareth Thomas and Daniel Zamora from Health Innovation Manchester, Matt Hennessey from NHS Greater Manchester, and Stephanie Landi from the University of Manchester. Together, they told a powerful, end-to-end story of how data flows from frontline care into research and, ultimately, real-world outcomes for patients.
Data for direct care
The GM Care Record sits at the heart of this story. Used across health and care settings, it brings together patient information into a single, accessible view supporting clinicians to make informed decisions and improving continuity of care. As its use grows, so too does its value – not just for direct care, but as a rich, real-time dataset that reflects the needs of a diverse population of around 3 million people.
“The GM Care Record is first and foremost about better care – giving clinicians the right information at the right time. But as its use grows, it’s also creating one of the most powerful real-world datasets in the country.”
Dr Gareth Thomas, Clinical Director Digital & Data Products, Health Innovation Manchester
Data for secondary use and research
From here, the story moves into secondary uses of data. Through Greater Manchester’s Secure Data Environment, approved researchers can safely access de-identified data for analysis, without that data ever leaving a secure platform. Underpinned by robust governance and strong public engagement, this approach ensures privacy and trust are maintained while unlocking insights that can improve services, inform planning and accelerate research.
“The strength of our approach is that we’ve built trust into the system from the start, combining robust governance, security and transparency to enable data to be used safely for the benefit of the population.”
Matt Hennessey, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, NHS Greater Manchester
Turning insight into innovation
Crucially, this is not data for data’s sake. The Health Innovation Accelerator shows how insights are translated into action. By bringing together partners from across NHS, academia, industry and the voluntary sector, it is enabling new approaches to early diagnosis and prevention, particularly in major conditions such as heart failure and liver disease.
Projects like early heart failure detection illustrate the potential: using linked electronic health record data to identify people at risk earlier and shift care from treatment to prevention.
“What makes this different is the ability to move from data to action, working with partners to turn insights into real, targeted interventions that can improve outcomes at scale.”
Daniel Zamora, Programme Director, Health Innovation Manchester
Real-world impact through collaboration
Initiatives like ID Liver highlight the impact from a research perspective, using real-world data to better identify at-risk populations, improve pathways and ultimately detect disease earlier.
“For researchers, access to high-quality, linked data in a secure environment is transformational. it allows us to answer questions we simply couldn’t before, and translate findings into meaningful improvements in care.”
Stephanie Landi, Research Hepatology Fellow, University of Manchester
What brings this all together is partnership. Greater Manchester’s connected system, combining a mature research ecosystem, strong digital infrastructure and a “real-world testbed” for innovation, creates the conditions to move quickly from insight to impact.
This is exactly the kind of ambition reflected in the launch of Greater Data this week, reinforcing a shared commitment to harnessing data for better care, stronger collaboration and improved population health outcomes.
As NHS ConfedExpo highlighted, the challenge is no longer whether we use data, but how we bring it together effectively. Greater Manchester’s approach shows what is possible: a virtuous cycle where data improves care, care generates insight, and insight drives innovation, benefiting patients and populations alike.
