University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust is translating Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland’s cancer patient records into high-quality data to expand cancer research opportunities.

It is hoped that the increased access to cancer data will further increase possibilities in developing and improving cancer care and treatment for patients in the UK.

Figures show that more than 375,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with cancer every year and currently only 20 per cent of people with cancer have the opportunity to take part in research through clinical trials. Usually, data that can be used in research typically only comes from clinical trials, which only represents a small proportion of cancer patients. It is believed that this leads to health inequalities with 80 per cent of people missing from the data.

The trust has entered a partnership with Flatiron Health UK, which has been approved by the NHS Health Research Authority.

Nigel Brunskill, director of research and innovation at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust said: “As part of our strategy to grow as an international centre of excellence for research, education and innovation we are delighted to be partnering with Flatiron Health UK. We are committed to ensuring we are making best use of health data to develop and improve our research and clinical services. By collaborating with partners such as Flatiron Health UK, we can apply an evidence-based approach to significant health challenges to help with the development of new treatments which will improve outcomes for patients.”

Dr. Arun Sujenthiran, clinical lead and medical director, Flatiron Health UK said: “We are thrilled to partner with the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. Our work together will aim to drive foundational change in cancer research, understanding how treatments work in diverse populations, increase access to clinical trials, and support meaningful insights to a global cancer population.”