UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration v.2
Research type
Research Database
IRAS ID
363066
Contact name
Andy Boyd
Contact email
Research summary
UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration (UK LLC)
REC name
North West - Haydock Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/NW/0314
Date of REC Opinion
17 Oct 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion
Data collection arrangements
UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration (UK LLC) is the national research database for linking together the data collected by many different longitudinal population studies (LPS) with the health and other administrative records of the LPS volunteer participants. Consenting volunteers provide data using questionnaires, physical assessment visits, biological samples and smart devices (e.g. smart phone sensors). UK LLC hosts all these data but only includes digital data generated from biological samples (e.g. DNA code), not the samples themselves. UK LLC links NHS records from across the UK and works with UK statistical agencies to include data on employment, earnings, benefits and education. UK LLC maps data about the properties and places in which people live into the database, e.g. air pollution data. All the data is processed before it arrives at UK LLC so that participant identifiers (e.g. name, address, NHS ID) are removed. UK LLC provides the secure computing setting where these data can be used in research. The data are stored in the UK and analysed in a specially designed secure research computer system. No data can leave this system and researchers using the system are checked to make sure they are following the rules.
Research programme
UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration (UK LLC) was set up to bring together de-identified data collected from volunteer participants who take part in ‘longitudinal research’ and to link these participants with their routine NHS and government service records. This could include education, employment and benefit records, and data about the properties and areas in which people live. This is done in a secure way to help researchers undertake research in the public good. Longitudinal research studies gather data about people’s lives over time. This data can lead to discoveries that improve people’s health, lived experience and wellbeing. UK LLC brings together data from many different longitudinal studies to create an exceptional research resource that contains the data needed for very diverse research questions. By building a national system to securely store and manage these data, UK LLC can support efficient access to verified research users. These users will mainly be academic researchers but will also include NHS, wider government and charity researchers. All users need to demonstrate their professional qualifications and training, and be contracted to maintain the confidentiality of the data they use. All need to demonstrate their research is likely to improve the public good.
Research database title
UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration (UK LLC)
Establishment organisation
University of Bristol
Establishment organisation address
Senate House
Tyndall Avenue
Bristol
BS81TH