Evaluation methodology

As is common with all Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) initiatives, the Data for R&D Programme was subject to a GMPP Gateway review process. The final one of these, Gateway 5, took place in November 2025 and has reported its findings. This programme evaluation is intended to complement that review, with additional emphasis on identifying lessons learned and recommendations. This programme evaluation assesses why the Programme was initiated, what it intended to deliver, and whether it delivered value for money.

The Programme is in the process of closing down as a GMPP initiative. A new government-owned company (GovCo), the Health Data Research Service (HDRS) is being established. This is a UK-wide initiative designed to provide a single, secure, and co-ordinated gateway for researchers to access health and care data from across the country. It aims to simplify and speed up research into diseases and treatments by allowing approved users to access data from the NHS and other sources in a secure environment.

See:

• Prime Minister turbocharges medical research - GOV.UK

• Health Data Research Service – unlocking the potential of health and care data to transform lives - NHS England

We sought feedback from a wide range of stakeholders to identify achievements, lessons learned and hear their recommendations for the future. We also assessed whether the Programme delivered value for money.

We were asked to identify lessons learned and recommendations from this evaluation that may inform the mobilisation of the HDRS during its work to establish the UK’s national institute for health data science which unites data across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

We followed HM Government’s Magenta Book guidelines, which assess the efficiency and effectiveness of programmes and projects. This provides a holistic assessment of the Programme, enabling us to examine why it was established, what it has achieved and how effectively and efficiently it was delivered. We assessed whether the Programme delivered:

• the impact that was planned – by comparing the scope of the Programme with the achievements delivered to date, identifying lessons learned and making recommendations for the future
• value for money – assessing whether the benefits outweigh the costs and whether the planned change remains an effective use of resources

To carry out this review:

We agreed a list of 40+ stakeholders, identified in collaboration with the Data for R&D Programme team, who were invited to participate by the Programme senior responsible officer (SRO). A copy of the invitation is included as Appendix B.

We met with 37 stakeholders in small groups or 1-to-1 interviews. The stakeholders represented the breadth of the Programme from SDE service providers and technical teams to patient representatives, national delivery teams and members of the Programme team. Appendix A sets out the breakdown of contributors.

We utilised a standard interview framework which is set out in Appendix C. Following each interview, we sent summary notes to attendees for their feedback and incorporated their feedback in the notes. The interviews are non-attributable, and all findings are summarised to represent the general themes.

We reviewed key programme documentation that had been previously collated for the Gateway 5 review. This included the business case and addendums, the Gateway 5 Report, case studies and audit reports.

We have structured the report to bring together:

• feedback from interviewees - section 4 (supported by appendices A-C)
• value for money assessment – section 5 (supported by appendix D-F)
• a consolidated list of lessons learned and recommendations – section 6 (supported by appendix H and separate Excel spreadsheet)