Mersey Care awarded funding to transform mental health research through a Secure Data Environment

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, which works in partnership with the University of Liverpool through the Merseyside-based Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC), has been awarded funding to lead a groundbreaking mental health data initiative.

Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Mersey Care will work in partnership with DATAMIND, the UK’s national data infrastructure for mental health research, to establish a Secure Data Environment for NIHR’s Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration (MH-TRC).

This secure data platform will receive, store and analyse patient data from the MH-TRC, and support linkage of MH-TRC data with other health-related datasets such as the NHS secure data environment networks (regional NHS research data hubs). This will make it easier for researchers to access data generated and collected through the NIHR MH-TRC, helping them to better understand mental health conditions and improve treatments.

Dr Jim Hughes, Director of Digital and Data Programmes for the Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC) and Strategic Advisor Digital and Data Programmes for Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: "This funding marks a significant step forward in our mission to transform mental health care through data. Now, with partners from DATAMIND (Swansea University), the NIHR, NHS, Health Data Research UK (HDRUK), universities and industry, we are looking forward to expanding this work nationally and to make access to mental health research easier, secure and more effective for everyone.”

The project brings together a powerful network of the NIHR UK Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration (MH-TRC), 12 leading universities, seven mental health trusts, and all 11 NHS secure data environments. The MH-TRC Secure Data Environment will provide a ‘federated’ data architecture design, that will mean researchers will be able to link and access data across a range of NHS and other data sources.

This establishes a unified and secure infrastructure for mental health research, creating a single ‘front door’ for researchers to access data through the DATAMIND Trusted Research Environment, thereby simplifying data analysis and accelerating innovation.

This work aims to improve mental health care by revolutionising how the NHS, charities, industry and researchers use and share information, with data democracy and fairness at its core.

Dr Noir Thomas, Chief Medical Officer for Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust said: “As a research active Trust, Mersey Care is proud to be the NHS Trust appointed to lead on NIHR’s Secure Data Environment for the Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration. The project will provide a simplified, secure and effective way for researchers to access the data they need. This saves time for busy clinicians and breaks down barriers for researchers.

“Ultimately, this will enable more groundbreaking studies to take place, all of which have the potential to transform and improve care and treatments for service users and patients across the country.”

Professor Ann John, Principal Investigator and Co-Director of DATAMIND, said: “We’re delighted to collaborate with Mersey Care and our partners to expand our existing Trusted Research Environment by federating and enriching, data collected primarily for research, across NHS data sources. This initiative unites major UK mental health data innovations, such as the UKRI Mental Health Platform, through DATAMIND, to create an at-scale, secure and connected infrastructure for mental health research. By making high-quality mental health data more accessible and usable for approved researchers, we can accelerate discoveries that improve lives across the UK and beyond.”

The M-RIC and DATAMIND teams work side-by-side with people with lived experience of mental health services and care to guide and shape their work. They have ensured that patient and service user voices informed this project.

Together, Mersey Care and its partners and collaborators are building a future where mental health research is more inclusive, efficient and impactful.