A new London Secure Data Environment (SDE) Driver Project aims to improve the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, helping deliver better outcomes for patients across London (30 September 2026).

The INSIGHT Driver Project is a partnership led by The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, North Central London Cancer Alliance, King’s College London and Imperial College London with other London centres. Using the London SDE, the project will create a linked, AI-ready dataset that brings together primary care, hospital and lung cancer screening data from across the capital. The dataset will support a better understanding of screening uptake, help identify opportunities to improve early diagnosis and care pathways, and enable the development and validation of AI-enabled risk stratification tools such as LungGuard designed to improve the effectiveness of lung cancer screening programmes. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the UK, with many cases still diagnosed at a late stage when treatment is less effective. While lung screening is helping detect more cancers earlier, uptake remains lower in some communities, particularly among groups at greater risk of developing the disease. By supporting earlier diagnosis, increasing screening uptake and helping to reduce health inequalities, the INSIGHT Driver Project aims to improve outcomes for Londoners while supporting more effective use of NHS resources. The London SDE is a world-leading resource for health and care improvement. By securely bringing together linked health and care data from across London, it provides one of the largest and most comprehensive data assets of its kind, creating significant opportunities to improve patient care, accelerate research and support innovation. The INSIGHT project joins four other London SDE Driver Projects that are demonstrating how linked data and innovation can be used to tackle some of London’s most pressing health challenges. The projects are also helping to shape the future development of the London SDE’s data assets, analytical capabilities and ways of working with partner organisations. Mark Kewley, London Secure Data Environment Programme Director, said: “Through the London Secure Data Environment, we are doing what Londoners have asked us to do: creating the data foundations to innovate to improve health outcomes for Londoners. Our Driver Projects are showing how secure access to London-wide linked data can tackle real-world healthcare challenges and deliver meaningful benefits for patients and the health service. “I am delighted to welcome INSIGHT as our latest Driver Project partner. Representing all four Cancer Alliances, this pan-London team reflects the wealth of clinical and academic expertise across the city. The ambition and collaboration in this project demonstrates our shared commitment to use data and research to improve the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the UK. I look forward to seeing the positive impact this project will have for Londoners.” Richard Lee, Consultant Physician in Respiratory Medicine at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Lung cancer remains a major health challenge, and too many people are diagnosed at a stage when treatment options are more limited. This project gives us an important opportunity to use the power of linked data and AI to better understand who is being reached by screening, where gaps remain and how we can support earlier diagnosis. “By bringing together expertise from across London, we can develop and validate new approaches that have the potential to make lung cancer screening more targeted and effective, while helping to ensure that the benefits reach the communities who need them most.” OneLondon is co-funding each London SDE Driver Project with up to £250,000 to demonstrate the potential of the London SDE, support its ongoing development and deliver tangible health and care benefits for Londoners. The INSIGHT Driver Project is a partnership between The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, North Central London Cancer Alliance, King’s College London and Imperial College London, with additional support from UCLPartners, CogStack and Quantum Analytica and other London centres. This project is also supported by The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. You can find out more about the INSIGHT Driver Project here. Find out more about all of the London SDE Driver Projects here. Find out more about the London SDE here. The London SDE is part of the national NHS Research Secure Data Environment Network which helps approved researchers by simplifying and accelerating secure access to NHS data. By enabling world class research, the SDE Network is transforming how data is used to drive innovation and improve patient care.