Non-inquiry session · Opened 11 June 2026

Federated Data Platform

From: Health and Social Care Committee

Open1 document1 evidence session

What this inquiry is asking

This is not a formal inquiry but a single evidence session examining the Federated Data Platform — a system designed to improve data sharing across the NHS and social care. The session is exploring how this platform could enable better coordination of care, research, and resource allocation while maintaining patient privacy and data security.

Status / emerging findings

  • Session examined technical architecture and governance of the Federated Data Platform, with focus on interoperability between NHS and social care systems
  • Key discussion around data privacy protections, patient consent mechanisms, and how the platform balances analytical access with confidentiality
  • Witnesses included data governance experts (Shadbolt), health economics analysts (Scobie), and operational leads, suggesting discussion spanned technical, ethical, and implementation angles
  • No formal recommendations issued yet; this appears to be exploratory evidence-gathering rather than investigative scrutiny

Why it matters

Federated data systems are critical infrastructure for modern health systems — this evidence shapes how the UK will enable data use for care improvement and research while protecting patient privacy.

Themes

data-governancenhs-integrationpatient-privacyfederated-systemssocial-care-interoperability

Key witnesses

Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Dr Sarah Scobie, Matt Hennessy, Ayub Bhayat, Rob Thompson, Preet Kaur Gill MP

Witness sessions

Written evidence & correspondence

Themes & actors

Source · parliament.uk inquiry record ↗

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