OpenSAFELY is a set of best practices encoded as software. It can be deployed to create a Trusted Research Environment (TRE) alongside appropriate database, compute, governance, and administrative elements; or it can be deployed as a privacy-enhancing layer on any existing secure database or TRE.

OpenSAFELY software is currently deployed within the secure data centres of the two largest electronic health record providers in the NHS, to support urgent research into the Covid-19 emergency: thereby creating OpenSAFELY-TPP and OpenSAFELY-EMIS. OpenSAFELY helps the NHS minimise the sharing of confidential patient information.

OpenSAFELY support National Core Study research via the Longitudinal Health and Wellbeing and Data and Connectivity National Core Studies