Shared data for shared understanding between housing and health sectors: findings from a UK interview study
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Authors
Sana Ali
Oluwadolapo Adegboye
Jessica Sheringham
Contact
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Issue Date
06-May-26
Type
Conference Abstract
Language
Keywords
Housing
Alternative Title
Abstract
Background
Poor housing has significant impacts on health. Siloed working means those working in housing, NHS and public health services often do not have the information they need to understand and address residents' holistic needs. Public health teams in local authorities often serve as the bridge between housing and health. While challenges in data sharing are widespread, it is less well understood what leads to safe data sharing that can reduce health inequalities.
Objectives
To understand what enables local data sharing across housing and health sectors.
Methods
27 semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff with experience of data sharing from NHS, social housing providers, Voluntary & Community Sector and local authority public health. Data collection and analysis was guided by Normalisation Process Theory, which seeks to explain why innovations succeed or fail in becoming embedded in everyday practice.
Results
Strong personal values and shared purpose were instrumental in overcoming commonly experienced barriers including lack of interoperability between systems, capacity constraints, and lengthy governance processes. Anticipated benefits including improved risk prioritisation, more effective identification and addressing of individual needs, and more precise targeting of services at a population level. Risks of not data sharing were also highlighted. Alongside complying with data protection legislation, data sharing needed to be aligned with staff values and be feasible. Personal motivation was often the catalyst for the formation of partnerships across sectors, enabling data sharing.
Staff perceived that data sharing led to reduced hospital admissions, improved housing conditions and more coordinated support. It changed how organisations coordinated their work, shaped commissioning decisions and influenced frontline action. Integration emerged not from structural change, but from the steady incorporation of shared data processes into routine practice.
Discussion / Learning for the wider community
Data sharing across sectors enables integration to help residents with health and housing needs. This study highlights the factors that make impactful data sharing more likely: a compelling service need as a driver and motivator, additional resources (for training, IT systems, ability to act on data), and making small, timely changes, often building on existing processes, to improve acceptability and feasibility.