The UK has a unique asset: millions of longitudinal health records built over decades across a diverse population. From births and vaccinations to cancer diagnoses and mental health treatments, this data holds extraordinary potential to improve medical research and accelerate the development of new medicines.
Yet that potential has not been fully realised because data is fragmented across the NHS and it is difficult for researchers to navigate, access and work with. Concerns around privacy security and issues with practical implementation have frustrated access and limited the ability of researchers to utilise data effectively so far.
The creation of the Health Data Research Service (HDRS), announced in April 2025, becomes operational later this year and is intended to address this weakness. It will create a secure, single gateway to national-scale health and care datasets to make the UK the best place in the world to conduct medical research.
Last month, the government announced that Melanie Ivarsson was appointed as the inaugural HDRS CEO. This is newsworthy not just because it is the first CEO appointment for the new body, but because the framing of the appointment tells us a lot about government’s intentions and the way it perceives the challenges ahead.
In announcing the appointment, the Department of Health and Social Care framed HDRS as a vehicle to “accelerate medical breakthroughs”, “slash red tape” and put the UK on a faster path to curing diseases such as cancer, dementia and arthritis. This language signals the government’s intention for HDRS to be an engine for innovation and economic growth, and playing a key role in supporting its life sciences strategy.
Bridging the gaps
Melanie Ivarsson has a successful track record in the private sector, having led the clinical trials that produced the COVID-19 vaccine at Moderna and worked in senior roles at Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Takeda. She understands how health data is used in practice to develop new medicines and can bring that insight to help HDRS work effectively with industry.
This gap has been a major weakness to date. The country has comprehensive data, leading academic institutions and global pharmaceutical players. What it has struggled with is alignment — between policymakers seeking public value and health outcomes, regulators safeguarding data use, and companies seeking access to useful data that they can use effectively in ongoing projects.
The barriers to success range from technical concerns– especially when it comes to privacy and data security – to political concerns around the commercialisation of public data and questions about who profits from what is essentially a public good.
But senior figures including Sir Tony Blair and Lord Hague have been calling for data to be leveraged more successfully to harness a new biotechnology ‘industrial revolution’ since 2024, to boost research and help accelerate the development of new treatments.
The broader context is important when it comes to understanding how meaningful this change is. This government, like previous ones, has reaffirmed the importance of life sciences to the UK economy and as a key pillar of the country’s industrial strategy. The ability to conduct medical research and to develop new medicines is seen as a unique strength where the UK can compete globally – notwithstanding recent challenges in relation to clinical trials and clashes over the ‘Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth’ (VPAG).
What should health tech companies watch?
Many health tech scale-ups and digital health companies are wondering what this means for them. I think they should feel confident that this appointment signals seriousness. Industry has grown fatigued by rhetoric around the UK’s “data assets” that has not always translated into tangible benefits. Installing a senior pharmaceutical executive as CEO is designed to reassure industry that government understands the value of collaboration and the importance of getting it right.
In terms of what to look out for, I suggest looking at practical collaboration and speed of delivery.
If HDRS is to succeed, it must demonstrate that secure access to high-quality datasets can shorten development timelines, improve trial recruitment and generate real-world evidence at scale. Health tech leaders should look out for what kind of partnerships and projects get underway and look for evidence of tangible results, which will likely trigger further engagement and follow on investment.
Speed will be important too. Health tech companies are constantly comparing destinations when it comes to thinking about where to scale their business. If the UK can provide a predictable, efficient route to national-scale data within a trusted governance framework, it becomes highly attractive. If processes remain slow or fragmented, others will benefit. Quangos are not known for their agility, but senior industry leadership at the top and a different approach to engagement with pharmaceutical and digital health businesses may mean this time is different.
An opportunity we shouldn’t waste
There is an opportunity here to reposition the UK as the most attractive environment in which to build and scale a digital health business. Success would not only attract foreign investment but also enable domestic life sciences and health tech firms to expand internationally from a position of strength.
Dr Ivarsson’s appointment indicates that government recognises the scale of the challenge and the need for industry-facing leadership. If HDRS delivers, the UK could genuinely become a global leader in health data research and application. If it does not, it risks reinforcing the perception that the UK excels in theory but struggles in practice.
