Your Data

Protecting Your Data

Researchers will have access to clinical data relating to your sample such as:

• disease
• sex
• age
• treatments

This information will be anonymous. The researcher will not receive any identifying information, such as name, date of birth or hospital number. Some Biobank staff members will have access to this data but they must have special permission from the NHS. They must adhere to the same confidentiality standards as medical professionals.

Outside Organisations

Drug Companies

It is important that drug companies can access the information so they research potential new drugs and treatments. Any researcher from a drug company using the Biobank will only have access to anonymous information.

Non-UK Researchers

We do allow researchers outside of the UK to use the Biobank. There is important medical research going on in the rest of the world which may lead to a medical breakthrough that would benefit patients here. We will not allow researchers to use your sample outside of the UK if you do not agree to this on the consent form.

Research Using Your Samples

We carry out research to further our understanding of the many different diseases and conditions. When a researcher receives your sample they can do a wide range of scientific tests. These are used to find out why these cells or tissues are not functioning properly or have become diseased. 

This research may lead to better diagnostic tests, treatments, drugs or even a cure. It is important that researchers repeat these tests on as many samples, from as many different patients as possible. It is also essential to compare diseased samples to healthy samples to identify differences between the two. A sample from a healthy volunteer may be a blood or urine sample, or we may get healthy tissue when an otherwise healthy person undergoes treatment i.e. for an accident.