SUMMER 2025 DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 35
NHS & HEALTHCARE
GPSJ
Barts Health takes ‘giant step’ for medical
research with Sectra
Previously untapped insights
from large volumes of
anonymised diagnostic
images could enable groundbreaking research and medical
innovations needed to enhance
patient care, following a
昀椀rst of its kind technology
deployment in the NHS.
Barts Health NHS Trust, which
serves one of the largest and most
diverse patient populations in
the country, has become the 昀椀rst
healthcare provider in the NHS to
implement Anonymise and Export
from medical imaging IT company
Sectra. As part of wider activity,
it means that researchers will be
empowered to shed new light
on diseases, tailor treatments,
and potentially inform the next
generation of healthcare AI.
Anonymise and Export has
been implemented within the
trust’s existing Sectra enterprise
imaging solution, a system widely
used by NHS diagnosticians
to analyse patient scans.
The cutting-edge addition
will allow for the seamless
export of medical images to a
secure data environment, with
patient identi昀椀ers automatically
removed. This removes a
previously manually intensive
process, releasing time for busy
NHS teams, whilst addressing
crucial privacy safeguards, and
dramatically expanding research
possibilities.
The de-identi昀椀ed imaging
data will be integrated into the
new Barts Health Data Platform
(BHDP), which was formally
launched in April 2025. The
platform brings together di昀昀erent
types of health information —
such as scans, health records,
and lab results — into one secure
system that researchers can apply
to use.
Steven Newhouse, deputy
chief information o昀케cer for Barts
Health NHS Trust, said: “We are
now able to provide researchers
and clinicians with access to
health and imaging data at a
scale we’ve not o昀昀ered before.
With robust safeguards in place,
this development supports more
e昀케cient, secure research and
marks meaningful progress in
advancing medical innovation and
understanding of disease.”
Deployed with the support
of Sectra and the NIHR Barts
Biomedical Research Centre,
Sectra Anonymise and Export
opens new avenues for medical
research, paving the way for more
comprehensive and insightful
studies.
Professor Sir Mark Caul昀椀eld,
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at
Queen Mary University of London,
said: “The NIHR Barts Biomedical
Research Centre is delighted to
have enabled this groundbreaking
advancement in access to medical
imaging for research. This system
represents a pivotal moment in our
昀椀eld — a true game-changer that
unlocks the potential of big data
while steadfastly protecting patient
privacy. This is an exhilarating
time of transformation, and I am
proud to be part of this innovative
journey.”
Sarah Jensen, chief information
o昀케cer for Barts Health NHS Trust,
added: “The diversity and sheer
volume of data being integrated
means a signi昀椀cant leap forward
in our healthcare data research
capabilities. NHS professionals
are under pressure as they work
to deliver the best possible care
for patients. Academics and
researchers in continual pursuit of
medical advancements, can play
a key role delivering innovations
urgently needed.
“Now, we can securely and
safely provide the data they need
on a scale not previously possible,
whilst safeguarding con昀椀dentiality,
and without our busy NHS teams
being asked to spend time
manually removing identi昀椀able
information. The possibilities are
immense.”
The technological deployment
sets the stage for sophisticated
AI-powered analysis of medical
images. By leveraging advanced
pattern recognition algorithms,
that are available within the Azure
Cloud that hosts the BHDP,
researchers will be able to uncover
hidden insights and draw more
nuanced conclusions from the
extensive dataset.
Jane Rendall, UK and Ireland
managing director for Sectra,
said: “Healthcare professionals
at Barts Health have been at
the forefront of innovation with
imaging technology for many
years – using our platform to
diagnose and inform care for a
great many patients across East
London. This latest initiative takes
that innovation to another level,
securely and safely harnessing
imaging data in ways that could
radically change how care is
delivered. I look forward to seeing
the impact emerge for healthcare
and patients alike.”
Jane Rendall
Steven Newhouse
GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SECTOR JOURNAL SUMMER 2025
35
