HEALTH DATA RESEARCH UK
The national institute for health data for England, Wales, Scotland and N Ireland. We develop and apply cutting-edge data science approaches to clinical, biological, genomic and other multi-dimensional health data to address the most pressing health research challenges facing the public. Our mission is to unite, improve and use the UK's health data to enable discoveries that improve people's lives
Latest income
£14.9m
Latest spending
£25.9m
Registered
2021
Accounts read
FY2025
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that total unrestricted reserves decreased to £45.7m from £55.7m in the prior year, while total funds stood at £68.7m. The Trustees report that the charity has committed core funding in place to cover activities until March 2028 and considers there to be no material uncertainties regarding its ability to continue as a going concern.
What the accounts disclose
Highest-paid employee band: £160,001 - £170,000 — above the median for charities its size (£130k)
“£160,001 - £170,000 1”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: no need for significant reserves (held: £45.7m)
“By the nature of this model, there is no need for significant reserves.” — page 16
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: HDR UK received grants of £33,977k from The Medical Research Council (UKRI). Dr Claire Newland is Director of Policy, Ethics and Governance at the Medical Research Council, UK Research & Innovation.
“In the course of the year 2025, HDR UK received grants of £33,977k (2024: £17,717k) from The Medical Research Council (part of UK Research and Innovation). £5,065k was owed to HDR UK at 31 March 2025 (2024: £700k). UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a founding member of the Company. Dr Claire Newland is Director of Policy, Ethics and Governance at the Medical Research Council, UK Research & Innovation.” — page 47
“Over the course of the year the organisation received grants of £1,094k (2024: £885k) and incurred other expenditure of £198k (2024: £132k) in relation to Wellcome Trust. Wellcome Trust provides funding grants to the company directly for the HDR UK Turing Wellcome PHD Programme in Health Data science, through UKRI as a core funder and through the Covid-19 Therapeutics Accelerator. HDR UK is also a tenant of the Wellcome Trust.” — page 47
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: HDR UK received grants of £1,094k and incurred other expenditure of £198k in relation to Wellcome Trust. HDR UK is also a tenant of the Wellcome Trust.
“In the course of the year 2025, HDR UK received grants of £33,977k (2024: £17,717k) from The Medical Research Council (part of UK Research and Innovation). £5,065k was owed to HDR UK at 31 March 2025 (2024: £700k). UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a founding member of the Company. Dr Claire Newland is Director of Policy, Ethics and Governance at the Medical Research Council, UK Research & Innovation.” — page 47
“Over the course of the year the organisation received grants of £1,094k (2024: £885k) and incurred other expenditure of £198k (2024: £132k) in relation to Wellcome Trust. Wellcome Trust provides funding grants to the company directly for the HDR UK Turing Wellcome PHD Programme in Health Data science, through UKRI as a core funder and through the Covid-19 Therapeutics Accelerator. HDR UK is also a tenant of the Wellcome Trust.” — page 47
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: HDR UK received grants of £24k from Swansea University and incurred £182k as grants payable and £97k as other expenditure. Professor Cathie Sudlow is Chair of the Strategic Advisory Board, DATAMIND at the Swansea University.
“In the course of the year 2025, HDR UK received grants of £33,977k (2024: £17,717k) from The Medical Research Council (part of UK Research and Innovation). £5,065k was owed to HDR UK at 31 March 2025 (2024: £700k). UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a founding member of the Company. Dr Claire Newland is Director of Policy, Ethics and Governance at the Medical Research Council, UK Research & Innovation.” — page 47
“Over the course of the year the organisation received grants of £1,094k (2024: £885k) and incurred other expenditure of £198k (2024: £132k) in relation to Wellcome Trust. Wellcome Trust provides funding grants to the company directly for the HDR UK Turing Wellcome PHD Programme in Health Data science, through UKRI as a core funder and through the Covid-19 Therapeutics Accelerator. HDR UK is also a tenant of the Wellcome Trust.” — page 47
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: HDR UK incurred expenditure of £1190k as grants payable and £696k as other expenditure to the University of Edinburgh. Andrew Morris, the Director of HDR UK, is Vice Principal and Professor of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.
“In the course of the year 2025, HDR UK received grants of £33,977k (2024: £17,717k) from The Medical Research Council (part of UK Research and Innovation). £5,065k was owed to HDR UK at 31 March 2025 (2024: £700k). UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a founding member of the Company. Dr Claire Newland is Director of Policy, Ethics and Governance at the Medical Research Council, UK Research & Innovation.” — page 47
“Over the course of the year the organisation received grants of £1,094k (2024: £885k) and incurred other expenditure of £198k (2024: £132k) in relation to Wellcome Trust. Wellcome Trust provides funding grants to the company directly for the HDR UK Turing Wellcome PHD Programme in Health Data science, through UKRI as a core funder and through the Covid-19 Therapeutics Accelerator. HDR UK is also a tenant of the Wellcome Trust.” — page 47
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: HDR UK incurred expenditure of £542k towards NHS England. Sir Mark Walport, HDR UK Trustee until June 2024, is a Non-Executive Director of NHS England. William Boa is the Director of Financial Improvement for NHS England.
“In the course of the year 2025, HDR UK received grants of £33,977k (2024: £17,717k) from The Medical Research Council (part of UK Research and Innovation). £5,065k was owed to HDR UK at 31 March 2025 (2024: £700k). UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a founding member of the Company. Dr Claire Newland is Director of Policy, Ethics and Governance at the Medical Research Council, UK Research & Innovation.” — page 47
“Over the course of the year the organisation received grants of £1,094k (2024: £885k) and incurred other expenditure of £198k (2024: £132k) in relation to Wellcome Trust. Wellcome Trust provides funding grants to the company directly for the HDR UK Turing Wellcome PHD Programme in Health Data science, through UKRI as a core funder and through the Covid-19 Therapeutics Accelerator. HDR UK is also a tenant of the Wellcome Trust.” — page 47
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Year-over-year changes
- Top pay band moved from £170,001 - £180,000 (FY2024) to £160,001 - £170,000 (FY2025).
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Total income
£14.9m
Total spending
£25.9m
Reserves (reported)
£45.7m
Employees
121
Trustees
- Dame Julie Moorechair
- Anita Rose Charlesworth
- Dr Andrew Elder
- Dr Claire Bithell
- Dr Junaid Bajwa
- Dr Prabhu Arumugam
- George Rollo Fairweather
- Haseeb Ahmad
- Lord James Richard O'Shaughnessy
- PROF DAME JANET MAUREEN THORNTON
- Patsy Wilkinson
- Prof. Sir Nilesh Jayantilal Samani
- Professor Julia Alison Noble
- Sir David Sloman
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 31/03/2025 | £14.9m | £25.9m |
| 31/03/2024 | £11.2m | £17.6m |
| 31/03/2023 | £85.6m | £31.6m |
| 31/03/2022 | £64.7m | £32.9m |
Common questions
Is HEALTH DATA RESEARCH UK financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total unrestricted reserves decreased to £45.7m from £55.7m in the prior year, while total funds stood at £68.7m. The Trustees report that the charity has committed core funding in place to cover activities until March 2028 and considers there to be no material uncertainties regarding its ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by HaysMac LLP.
What does the highest-paid employee of HEALTH DATA RESEARCH UK earn?
Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £160,001 - £170,000 band.
Who funds HEALTH DATA RESEARCH UK?
Funders whose own accounts filings name HEALTH DATA RESEARCH UK as a grant recipient include THE BRITISH DIABETIC ASSOCIATION, ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH UK.
Known funders
| Funder | Year | Amount | Purpose (as stated by the funder) |
|---|---|---|---|
| THE BRITISH DIABETIC ASSOCIATION | FY2022 | £1.0m | Research grant |
| ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH UK | FY2023 | £5k | Research |
Government & lottery funding
| Funder | Date | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK government | 07/02/2025 | £65k | EOSC-ENTRUST: A European Network of TRUSTed research environments |
| UK government | 16/09/2024 | £28k | Quality, Utility and Maturity Measured; Developing a Data Quality and Utility Label for HealthData@EU |
Funders of similar charities
| Funder | Similar charities funded | Amount to them |
|---|---|---|
| THE BURDETT TRUST FOR NURSING | 1 | £262k |
| THE HEALTH FOUNDATION | 1 | £143k |
| THE AIM FOUNDATION | 1 | £125k |
| THE ORR MACKINTOSH FOUNDATION LIMITED | 1 | £48k |
| THE FIELDROSE CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £40k |
| THE NUTRITIONAL WELLBEING FOUNDATION | 1 | £40k |
| THE KPMG FOUNDATION | 1 | £25k |
| THE EDWARD CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £15k |
Charities like this
- THE NUFFIELD TRUST FOR RESEARCH AND POLICY STUDIES IN HEALTH SERVICES
- HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH UK
- NATIONAL CANCER RESEARCH INSTITUTE
- INSTITUTE OF HEALTH VISITING
- THE HEALTH FOUNDATION
- MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH UK
Side by side with its peers
| Charity | Income | Top pay band | Staff >£60k | Reserves vs policy | Fundraising cost | Going concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HEALTH DATA RESEARCH UK | £14.9m | £160,001 - £170,000 | — | unclear | — | no doubt |
| THE NUFFIELD TRUST FOR RESEARCH AND POLICY STUDIES IN HEALTH SERVICES | £3.6m | £190,000 - £200,000 | — | below | — | no doubt |
| HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH UK | £313k | — | 0 | above | — | no doubt |
| NATIONAL CANCER RESEARCH INSTITUTE | £1.6m | — | — | above | — | no doubt |
| INSTITUTE OF HEALTH VISITING | £1.7m | £70,001 - £80,000 | 2 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| THE HEALTH FOUNDATION | £22.2m | — | — | within | 1.0% | no doubt |