The Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) programme was recently cited in a news article in The Guardian as an example of how sharing and linking government data can improve services.
The article quotes the chair of the UK Statistics Authority, Sir Robert Chote, in his essay in the Observer in which he argued that government data was too often kept separate between departments. He said there is “unrealised potential” for the sharing and linking of data that could aid growth, boost the economy and improve policies.
Research from the BOLD programme was cited as example of how policy can improve people’s lives based on the evidence that comes from data linkage.
The BOLD team linked data from the Ministry of Justice, Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and found that offenders with alcohol or drug problems were 10 times more likely to take their own lives than the general population in England and Wales. The study also found that those deaths may be reduced by speeding up access to treatment.
The BOLD programme aims to support individuals with complex needs by joining up data across government to ensure policies and services are grounded on the best evidence. Led by the MoJ, BOLD is a collaboration between Welsh Government, Public Health Wales (PHW), Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).