Free: Connecting the dots - the benefit of linking data on health and wealth

When we “link” different datasets together at the Office for National Statistics (ONS), from other government departments or public services, we can uncover powerful stories about our society that individual datasets can’t tell us.

On its own, health data enables us to create statistics on how long people might live, where there is health inequality, or about people’s access to healthcare systems.

But when we link health data with non-health data — such as earnings and social security — we can discover rich insights. For example, we can tell how likely people might be to return to work or increase their income after having a treatment through the NHS.

In our next ‘Bringing data to life’ event, we’ll explore how we can link different datasets to unlock their full potential, enabling faster and more informed decision and policy making, and ultimately helping to improve people's lives. Data security and ethics…