Blog

The future of GSS is in the hands of humans

I was honoured to be invited as closing keynote at the UK Government Statistical Service (GSS) Conference in Manchester in November 2025. GSS Statisticians occupy a critically important space at the intersection of evidence, public trust and national decision-making. Statistics are being reshaped on an unprecedented scale by digital technologies, including AI-assisted modelling, automated quality […]

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Putting users at the heart of design

In the world of animal and plant health surveillance, tools that help users make sense of complex pathogen and genetic relationship data are essential for rapid disease detection and effective disease control. Recently, our team set out to transform how APHA staff and partners interact with genomic data by applying user-centred design (UCD) to two […]

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The death of Excel? How our community delivered change at Welsh Government

Presenting at the Government Statistical Service (GSS) Conference this year was a real privilege. It was a fantastic opportunity to share the progress we’ve been making in the Welsh Government to modernise our ways of working. I was also able to learn a lot from GSS colleagues about how they are innovating and improving. For […]

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A day of connection and collaboration at the GSS Conference

It’s been a year since the launch of the Government Statistical Service (GSS) Vision, and this year’s conference, Ahead of the curve: preparing for the future of statistics, centred one of the core themes: Innovation and Transformation. The day demonstrated the vision in action as we celebrated the work of over 20 speakers, demonstrating our […]

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RAP in reality: automating the production of high-quality norovirus and rotavirus statistics

The need for norovirus statistics Every year in the UK, there are an estimated 3 million cases of norovirus, also known as the “winter vomiting bug”. While most people recover quickly, norovirus can cause severe disease in vulnerable groups. The public health burden of norovirus is considerable, causing ongoing disruption to health and social care, […]

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Revamping HIV Official Statistics together with stakeholders

Following the publication of our HIV Official Statistics in October 2024, there was a lot of media backlash due to an increasing number of people arriving in the UK from abroad with HIV diagnoses. The language we used within the release did not help with destigmatizing this population, so we decided to embark on a […]

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Behind the Scenes: Coordinating the Statistical Work Programme at DWP

Starting a new chapter When I joined the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as a Senior Statistical Officer, I was excited but also a little daunted. I had spent years working with data in academia and the private sector, but this was a different world – one of the largest government departments in the […]

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Vax to the future: reproducibility powered by epidemiological know-how

In September 2024, England’s respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programme was launched, protecting those at highest risk of serious illness: newborns (maternal programme) and older adults. Integral to the epidemiological surveillance of any new vaccine programme, the UKHSA monitor the uptake, safety and effectiveness of vaccines. Our job is to ensure data flows that are […]

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Increasing the impact of your communication

The most innovative and exciting analysis won’t influence anything if it’s not communicated clearly. Long sentences, confusing structure, and unclear conclusions never helped anyone. We’ve all spent hours cleaning data, calculating trends, and creating insightful charts, only for it to not cut through the noise. To help you increase your communication impact, the Government Statistical […]

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Building a strong analytical community in the Midlands

Holly Luke blogs about the growth and successes of the Midlands Analysts Network.

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