Talk Data to Me: Growing an Analytical Network in the North East
The North East Analysts Together (NEAT) network connects public sector analysts across the North East of England. Originally formed to revive a pre-pandemic analytical network in Newcastle, NEAT brings together professionals from departments including the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the Department for the Environment Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and the National Health Service Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). We also collaborate with our sister network in Darlington to strengthen regional ties.
Our monthly seminar series – ranging from 30-minute spotlights to hour-long deep dives – offers a platform for sharing insights, showcasing analytical work, and building cross-departmental connections. Topics span technical analysis, team showcases, career journeys, and even competitive Excel tournaments! In their own way each of these types of talk has helped cement connections between analysts.
In March, we invited Jamie Douglas of the Department for Transport (DfT) to present a seminar. Strictly speaking DfT doesn’t have a presence in Newcastle, with the nearest office in Leeds, but Jamie worked for many years at DWP in Longbenton and kindly agreed to return to give us a flavour of the analysis being done a bit further afield. His talk introduced the kinds of analysis they do at DfT, including a deep dive into how they weigh up the cost effectiveness of replacement versus maintenance of train rolling stock. For context, the GB passenger rail system provides 1.6 billion passenger journeys a year, with industry costs of £25 billion, while generating revenue of £11 billion! Jamie gave us some fascinating insights into replacement theory and sprinkled many fun facts along the way. Suffice to say we hadn’t realised how many train enthusiasts there were in our network, able to spot a Class 150 train and correctly identify stations from a photo of a single platform!
In May, Dr Lucy Sherwin-Robson of NHSBSA presented a compelling analysis of inequalities in Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) prescribing. This thought-provoking work was undertaken alongside Dr Sue Mann, the National Clinical Director in Women’s Health, and used the NHSBSA’s extensive prescription data to investigate the link between deprivation and HRT prescribing. HRT medications were prescribed to an estimated 1.8 million women, aged 40 and over, experiencing menopause in 2023/24. Lucy talked us through the impressive interactive web report, created in R using the Shiny package, and the process of working with a clinician to develop the analysis.
These are just two examples from an ongoing series of fascinating seminars which we think really highlights the depth and breadth of analytical thinking in the North East of England. We’re proud to support the Places for Growth programme by strengthening the analytical community in Newcastle and beyond. We hope that, in networking across the public sector in Newcastle, we can promote a diversity of opinion and opportunity. If you’re interested in presenting a seminar, or if you’d like to be added to the NEAT mailing list, please contact the committee:
• Alex (alexander.matthews@hmrc.gov.uk)
• Jacqui (Jacquelyn.Keun@dwp.gov.uk)
• Lewis (lewis.weinberger@dwp.gov.uk)
Lewis Weinberger, North East Analysts Together (NEAT) network