What is the UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration?

Across the UK, thousands of people are taking part in longitudinal studies like NCDS, which follow participants over time. At the Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS), we run four studies – NCDS, the 1970 British Cohort Study, Next Steps, and Child of the New Century (also known as the Millennium Cohort Study). There are many other studies in the UK, similar to these. Among others, these include, Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, Generation Scotland, National Survey of Health and Development, Southall and Brent Revisited, Twins UK, UK Biobank and Understanding Society.

Each study collects vital information which allows researchers to answer key questions about the factors which affect people’s experiences and circumstances throughout their lives.

The UK LLC brings together de-identified data from many of these studies including the four studies we run at CLS, together with linked administrative data, into a single database available to approved researchers for approved research projects. Combining the data from these studies together makes the data even more valuable, creating a resource which will significantly increase the potential for research. UK LLC was initially created as a research resource to support researchers doing priority research to help understand the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and develop new treatments. UK LLC has now received further funding from the Economic and Social Research Council and the Medical Research Council, to make linked study data available for any ethically approved research which is in the public benefit – not just research into COVID-19.

If you have given permission for your health records to be linked, then UK LLC has now linked your study data with NHS health data. Plans are also underway to link study data with employment, tax and benefits records for those of you who provided permission.

In order to securely link your administrative data to your survey responses, your personal details are provided to the UK LLC’s Trusted Third Parties – Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS). DHCW and ONS are not provided with the answers to your surveys.

For more details see About adding other information and refer to the UK LLC privacy policy.