Data have been widely hailed as ‘the raw material of the 21st century’¹ and ‘better use of data’ is a central feature of the NHS Long Term Plan.² Yet, data alone does not produce insights. To capitalise on opportunities to improve health and care, we need the data and outstanding data analysis. However, policymakers and academia have almost exclusively focused on pure academic research around the aetiology of disease; the field of practical coalface analytics has been largely neglected.

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