University of Bristol: Between 2003 and 2006 the DRIFT study recruited premature infants with post-haemorrhagic ventricular dilatation.

Data-sharing agreement from NHS Digital registers of approved data releases, 2014–2019. Evidence status: source reported.

Organisation: University of Bristol
Source reference: DARS-NIC-30560-W4V1T-v0.5
Jurisdiction: England
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0, subject to NHS England terms and exclusions

Register reference: DARS-NIC-30560-W4V1T-v0.5
Agreement period: not published to no end date published
For commercial purposes (as marked in the register): Not stated
Release files listed by NHS England: 14

Data approved

Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care

Objective, as published

Between 2003 and 2006 the DRIFT study recruited premature infants with post-haemorrhagic ventricular dilatation. Infants were randomised to receive a novel treatment (drainage, irrigation and fibrinolytic therapy [DRIFT]) or standard therapy which consisted of lumbar punctures and if needed a ventricular reservoir to drain cerebrospinal fluid. Initial results (at age 2) were promising. In 2014, the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme funded the DRIFT research team (based at University Hospitals Bristol and the University of Bristol) to conduct long term follow up of children at school age (i.e. 9 to 11 years). The aims of this long term follow up were to: 1) To compare cognitive function, visual function, sensorimotor ability and emotional wellbeing, between the two treatment groups in the DRIFT trial at school age. 2) To quantify functional status and use of community and specialist health and educational services. 3) To estimate the economic cost and outcomes of the DRIFT intervention by age 11, and model long-term costs and outcomes. 4) To quantify degree of ventricular dilatation and neurosurgical sequelae in the two treatment groups by clinical neuroimaging. As part of aim 3, the University of Bristol requests data from HSCIC on hospital care received by DRIFT participants since birth. The specific requirement is for Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data on the subset of DRIFT participants who were born in England and whose parents have provided consent for us…

Expected benefits, as published

Infants born prematurely are at high risk of brain injury and major disabilities/neurodevelopmental impairments later in life. Bleeding into the ventricles of the brain is one of the most common consequences of being born very early and has a very high rate of serious disability such as cerebral palsy and learning difficulties. Drainage, irrigation and fibrinolytic therapy (DRIFT) was developed as a method of washing out the ventricles to clear the effects of the bleeding. The DRIFT randomised trial was conducted in 2003-2006 among 74 premature babies (with parental consent) with bleeding into the ventricles. Babies were randomly allocated to get either DRIFT or standard therapy. When neurodevelopment was assessed by “blinded” observers at 2 years, severe disability or death was significa…

Source: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/2019/http://content.digital.nhs.uk/media/22305/Data-Release-Register-April-to-August-2016/xls/Data_Release_Register__April_-_August_2016.xlsx. Captured 2026-10-30.

Limitations: Agreement as recorded in an NHS Digital register of approved data releases (2014–2019), retrieved from the UK Government Web Archive. That register lists releases made in its period and the agreement's purpose statement as it then stood; it gives no agreement dates, and the agreement may have changed since. Imported only where a paper quotes a reference no current register holds.