Applied Clinical Data Linkage Programme Officer

The Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) established the Clinical Data Linkage Service (CDLS) in 2011 with the key objective of improving secondary uses of day-to-day clinical data through the linkage of data from different sources for the purpose of observational research. The CDLS provides a range of services designed to support all aspects of data linkage, from the initial approvals through to data extraction and processing.

This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic, enthusiastic and analytical individual You will co-ordinate the expansion of the CDLS service, leading on data linkage governance and processing by which data from different sources are linked for clinical use in a way that protects confidentiality, maintains security and improves quality of data whilst maximising potential benefits for the Trust and its service users. You will be working in an academic health sciences centre with extensive biomedical research experience, pioneering clinical services, robust governance arrangements, and international reputation.

You will be expected to undertake the tasks required for the day-to-day managing of these elements of the CDLS, including managing and maintaining existing data linkages, leading on new data linkage projects, and promoting and supporting effective and secure utilisation of clinical information to support and maintain well-being and improve healthcare delivery.

Main duties of the job

1) To initiate and lead discussions with different health and care organisations to generate collaborative ideas for sharing and using clinical and non-clinical data for patient care and population health management.

2) To communicate effectively and respond to enquiries to the CDLS from internal and external stakeholders and users of the CDLS service;

3) Working with the LUCI and CRIS teams alongside external project owners from other health organisations to obtain essential approvals from relevant bodies.

4) To ensure that the CDLS is always meeting the highest and latest standards of information governance. To liaise directly with the Head of Information Governance and Digital Services Managers to develop and implement governance and IT procedures.

5) To support the ongoing operations of the Data Linkage Service User and Carer Advisory Group and the Clinical Informatics Service Advisory Group, regular meetings of people with lived experience of mental illness.

6) To maintain an up-to-date technical knowledge of data linkage methodology, including deterministic and probabilistic matching, to carry out linkages and data extraction in a relational database and to understand the impact of linkage error associated with different linkage methodologies;

7) To be responsible for managing administrative tasks in the CDLS, including receiving and handling large volume datasets via Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) with complex and sensitive information.

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) is one of the United Kingdom's largest and most comprehensive providers of mental health services, serving a local population of approximately 1.3 million people across south London and delivering specialist services nationally and internationally.

We provide the widest range of NHS mental health and substance misuse services in the UK, spanning more than 240 services including inpatient care, community teams, outpatient clinics and specialist units for children, adults and older people. Each year we deliver inpatient care for thousands of people and treat tens of thousands across the London boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon.

The Trust operates multiple psychiatric hospitals, and over 100 community sites and clinical teams, making our Trust a complex multi-site organisation with deep expertise across the full spectrum of mental health care. We are known for our strong partnerships with academia and research, most notably with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King's College London and as part of King's Health Partners, contributing to world-leading research and innovation in mental health diagnosis, treatment and care.

Driven by a strategic commitment to improving mental health and wellbeing locally, nationally and globally, we combine high-quality clinical care, specialist research and community engagement to transform lives and support recovery.