Kent and Medway Data Warehouse (KMDW)

Data is at the core of every business decision made across the NHS. Kent and Medway Data Warehouse (KMDW) provides health and social care organisations with data solutions crucial to their successful operation.

KMDW logoISO certified for cybersecurity

As an ISO 27001 certified data processor, security is as the heart of what we do.

We extract data from customers’ systems and load it into our NHS databases, transforming it into a format requested by the customer so they can easily analyse it to review the health of the population, and their services.

Using industry-standard methodologies, we deliver an exceptional, cost effective and sustainable service. We are a trusted service, handling large volumes of sensitive data kept safe from unauthorised access, corruption or loss. Working in an open and transparent manner allows a better shared understanding for the benefit of all stakeholders.

Data solutions for health and social care organisations

With the correct governance in place, we produce linked datasets – we take data, structure it and interlink it with other data to maximise its usefulness for organisations.

The  KeRNEL  is a new linked dataset being developed by the Kent and Medway Data Warehouse team, led by the Kent and Medway Shared Health and Care Analytics Board (SHcAB).

KMDW also provides a secure central repository for supplying linkable data to the  Kent, Medway and Sussex Secure Data Environment (KMS SDE)  for research. This builds on the success of the existing KeRNEL and Sussex Integrated Dataset (SID) systems.

Working with us

KMDW works within an agile framework using a central tool called Azure DevOps to manage the workload. This focusses on the particular projects underway with individual customers, who each have access to everything on the tool.

We have six-weekly sprint planning meetings (operational team meetings) with customers in attendance to focus on work planning, ensure each customer understands where we are with their project, and confirm the upcoming work.

We also have one to one customer meetings linked to project work, contracts and finances.

The development work is carried out using the SQL Server suite with the system set up based on development, test and production environments. Initial work is carried out in the development environment before being published to test for customers to sign off.

Once a customer is happy with the work it is published to the production environment for customer use and analysis.

Get in touch if you would like to know more about the KMDW services:  mtw-tr.kmdw@nhs.net

Kent, Medway and Sussex Secure Data Environment for research

We are a programme partner for the Kent, Medway and Sussex Secure Data Environment (KMS SDE) for research.

It provides a trusted environment for researchers to access non-identifiable health and care data safely and securely for the benefit of patients, citizens and the NHS. This supports the government’s Data saves lives: reshaping health and social care with data strategy.

Programme partners are data providers and support development with the research community. Non-identifiable patient data from our trust previously flowed into one database and will now also flow into the KMS SDE to be more accessible for researchers to safely use.

What is a secure data environment for research?

Secure data environments (SDEs) for research are data storage and access platforms, which uphold the highest standards of privacy and security of NHS health and social care data when used for research and analysis.

The SDE will allow approved users to apply, securely access and analyse de-identified (otherwise known as pseudonymised) health and social care data from across Kent, Medway and Sussex. In the future, identifiable data could potentially be used where necessary for a specific research project, but only with appropriate consent and other robust governance approvals in place.

To access the data, you must:

  • be an approved/accredited user
  • be from an approved/accredited organisation
  • have an approved project.

SDEs allow the NHS to control:

  • who can become a user to access the data
  • the data that users can access
  • what users can do with the data in the environment.

SDEs adhere to The Five Safes framework. This is a set of principles that enable data services to provide safe research access to data.

The national SDE

NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) are investing in the development of a network of 11 regional SDEs for research and development across England.

The network ensures there is secure access to health care data for approved research projects. These are led by academics, industry organisations or NHS employees such as clinical researchers.

The Kent, Medway and Sussex SDE will enable researchers to access health and care data safely and securely for the benefit of patients, citizens, and the NHS.

As a platform, service and consistent process, the KMS SDE will provide a trusted environment for researchers, ensuring that innovation is accelerated and targeted to meet the needs of the communities we serve.

For more information, email scwcsu.kmssde@nhs.net.