CUREd: Centre for Urgent and Emergency Care Research Database
Research type
Research Database
IRAS ID
307353
Contact name
Suzanne Mason
Contact email
Research summary
CUREd: Centre for Urgent and Emergency Care Research Database
REC name
South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/SW/0008
Date of REC Opinion
2 Feb 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion
Data collection arrangements
Linked, de-identified clinical and operational data relating to episodes of patient care between 2011 and 2023, from hospitals across England (data from NHS Digital) and from 999 and NHS111 records from Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS). Older YAS data to be retrieved from the existing CUREd database at the University of Sheffield; newer YAS data to be collected from YAS. Patient identifiers for both YAS datasets to be sent to NHS Digital for them to perform the linkage; no patient identifiers to be included in the database.
Research programme
There is currently a lack of data to provide a detailed picture of the characteristics of demand in the Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) system. Individual provider data exists, e.g. ambulance 999 and ED, but the CUREd Research Database is unique in its inclusion of region-wide ambulance service data linked to hospital data. It is extremely valuable for undertaking research from a UEC system perspective to show patient flow through the whole system, from point of contact (e.g. call to 999/NHS 111) through different parts of the system (into ED and into hospital). Understanding the system and how patients use it is key to developing appropriate patient-focused interventions that can lead to a sustainable, safe and cost-effective system of care. The CUREd database refresh will ensure that the data held reflects changing practices and continues to be useful for analyses. It has also become clear that there is a need for more in-depth research into both: 1) the pathways of specific cohorts of patients prior to joining the UEC system and their journey through the UEC system; and 2) factors which influence when, how and why individuals within specific cohorts of patients join the UEC system in the first place.
Research database title
CUREd: Centre for Urgent and Emergency Care Research Database
Establishment organisation
University of Sheffield
Establishment organisation address
CURE; ScHARR
Regent Street
Sheffield
S1 4DA