The National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre (NPEC) encourages the use of its data for research purposes. In supplying data, the NPEC must comply with its obligations of confidentiality under the Data Protection Acts of 1988 and 2000 as well as with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of 2018. The use of the data by the applicant must also be consistent with these Acts and Regulations.

It is the NPEC's policy that all requests for data for research purposes be considered by a committee, termed the "Data Access Committee". All requests will be handled equitably, through the same process, whether the request comes from the NPEC internally or from an external source. It is the NPEC’s policy to have transparency in the decision-making process; in this regard, details of projects for which access has been granted will be published on the NPEC website.

Requests will be considered only from individuals affiliated with an education, healthcare or other research institution. A meeting or consultation with the requester may be required if there are any questions or reservations about the release of data.The NPEC Data Access Committee will be responsible for evaluating all requests for data. The Committee is comprised of a sub-group of the NPEC Governance Committee (formerly the "NPEC National Advisory Group") and represents all relevant parties, including clinical and non-clinical researchers in obstetrics, paediatrics, midwifery and other relevant disciplines/professions. It advises the Director on matters concerning data access by researchers.

Please complete the online form Data Access Request Form (electronic)

We will acknowledge receipt of the application and include all further information.