Data to Revenue, Revenue to Care: Research Income in Kent & Medway

This session will explore how NHS Trusts can leverage their high-value datasets to generate research income, support innovation and improve patient care. Drawing on the experience of East Kent Hospitals and the wider Kent & Medway system, we will examine:

• The challenges with the current Secure Data Environment (SDE) approach - slow, complex governance and limited flexibility.
• How Trusts can create a local “data marketplace,” combining datasets across East Kent, MTW, Medway and KMPT to attract research partnerships.
• The opportunity to connect with pharmaceutical and life sciences companies seeking high-quality real-world evidence.
• Practical steps to prepare, anonymise and package datasets in a way that is both research-ready and income-generating.

Key Takeaway: By operationalising data responsibly, NHS organisations can unlock new research partnerships, generate income to help address the deficit and reinvest in patient services.