Linkages and research topics permitted for each LPS

Last modified: 02 Jul 2026

The linkages and breadth of research topics permitted by each Longitudinal Population Study (LPS).

The tables below summarise the linkages that are either currently available for each LPS (NHS England and place-based datasets); will be available by autumn 2026 (NHS Wales); or will be available towards the end of 2026 (Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)). Note: linkage to Scottish health records is conditionally approved.

• Table 1 includes LPS that have obtained the necessary permissions to enable any research in the public good.

• Table 2 includes the small number of LPS that are working towards obtaining these permissions - these LPS are currently restricted to only COVID-19 research topics.

Some NHS England datasets can only be used for research relating to COVID-19

This includes English GP records - the GDPPR dataset.

LPS participants can always object to UK LLC or specific data linkages

If a participant objects, no new data about them will be shared, but data that have already been provisioned to a research project can still be used until the project ends.

Table 1: LPS that can be included in ANY public good research (including COVID-19)

Definition of public good: UK LLC currently follows the National Data Guardian (NDG) guidance to assess public good. We are working with our public contributors to develop a context-specific public good definition (we will update this page in due course).

LPS	NHS England1	Neighbourhood geographies2	Address geographies3	NHS Wales4 (Not yet available)	DWP (Not yet available)	HMRC (Not yet available)
AIRWAVE	✓	✓	Full address	✓	✗	✗
BCS70	✓	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
BIB	✓	✓	Full address	✓	✗	✗
CaPS	✓	✓	✗	✓	✗	✗
ELSA	✓	✗	✗	✗	✓	✓
EXCEED	✓	✓	Postcode	✓	✗	✗
GENSCOT	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗
GLAD	✓	✓	Full address	✓	✗	✗
MCS	✓	✗	✗	✗	✓	✓
NCDS58	✓	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
NEXTSTEP	✓	✗	✗	✗	✓	✓
NSHD46	✓	✓	Full address	✗	✗	✗
TEDS	✓	✓	Full address	✓	✓6	✓6
TWINSUK	✓	✓	Postcode	✗	✗	✗
UKHLS	✓	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
UKREACH5	✓	✓	✗	✓	✗	✗

Notes
¹ The purpose of any sub-licence must be restricted to purpose intended and expected to achieve benefit to the UK health and social care system
² Geographies used to produce official statistics, including administrative, health and statistical geographies (e.g. census geographies such as LSOA)
³ Household level, using Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN), or postcode level
⁴ The following LPS have also permitted linkage to NHS Wales, but linkage has not yet been successful (UK LLC is investigating and will endeavour to include these LPS at the next annual linkage): ELSA, MCS and TWINSUK
⁵ Data from UKREACH is not yet available in the UK LLC TRE
⁶ Linkage to DWP and HMRC data is restricted to TEDS participants who have consented to be part of the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study

Table 2: LPS that can ONLY be included in COVID-19 research

LPS	NHS England1	Neighbourhood geographies2	Address geographies3	NHS Wales4 (Not yet available)	DWP (Not yet available)	HMRC (Not yet available)
ALSPAC	✓	✓	Postcode	✓	✓	✓
EPICN	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗
FENLAND	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗
NICOLA	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗
NIHRBIO_COPING	✓	✓	Postcode	✗	✗	✗
SABRE	✗	✓	Full address	✗	✗	✗
TRACKC19	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗

Notes
¹ The purpose of any sub-licence must be restricted to purpose intended and expected to achieve benefit to the UK health and social care system
² Geographies used to produce official statistics, including administrative, health and statistical geographies (e.g. census geographies such as LSOA)
³ Household level, using Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN), or postcode level
⁴ The following LPS have also permitted linkage to NHS Wales, but linkage has not yet been successful (UK LLC is investigating and will endeavour to include these LPS at the next annual linkage): NIHRBIO_COPING and TRACKC19