Navigating the UK's Core Data Protection Framework

The foundation for handling health data in the UK is the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. These laws mandate that personal data, especially sensitive health information, must be processed lawfully, fairly, and securely. For any organisation handling NHS patient data, compliance with the NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) is mandatory. This toolkit is an annual self-assessment against 10 data security standards set by the National Data Guardian.

A key principle is data residency; NHS guidance permits storing patient data in the UK, the European Economic Area (EEA), or other territories deemed adequate by the UK. This makes the provider's location a critical compliance factor from day one. The recent Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 further aims to standardise health records to improve data flow across the NHS. This evolving legal framework requires a storage strategy that is flexible, secure, and sovereign by design.

The CLOUD Act Risk to UK Patient Data

A significant threat to UK health data sovereignty comes from extra-territorial laws, most notably the US CLOUD Act. This US law allows federal agencies to demand access to data stored by US-based technology companies, regardless of where the data is physically located. This means even if a US provider stores your data in a UK or UK data centre, it remains subject to US jurisdiction. This creates a direct conflict with UK GDPR's strict data transfer and privacy rules.

This exposure creates unacceptable risks for healthcare providers, with potential for severe regulatory penalties and loss of patient trust. Storing data with a non-EU provider negates the protections offered by European data centres. To eliminate this risk entirely, organisations must choose a cloud provider that is both legally domiciled and exclusively operates within the EU. This ensures your data is governed solely by EU and UK law, providing true data sovereignty.

Achieving Sovereignty with EU-Centric Storage

Impossible Cloud offers a direct solution to these sovereignty challenges. As a European company, our S3-compatible object storage is operated exclusively in certified European data centers. This architecture ensures that your data is governed by UK law, fully aligning with GDPR principles and avoiding any exposure to the CLOUD Act. We provide country-level geofencing, allowing you to lock your data within specific EU regions to meet precise residency requirements.

Our approach offers UK organisations a clear path to compliance. Here are the key benefits:

• EU Legal Certainty: Data is protected under the EU's robust privacy framework, which is recognised as adequate by the UK.
• No CLOUD Act Exposure: Being a strictly EU-centric provider removes the risk of data access by foreign authorities.
• Country-Level Geofencing: Pinpoint data storage to specific European locations to satisfy internal governance or regulatory demands.
• Full GDPR Compliance: Our services are built from the ground up to meet the stringent requirements of GDPR for data processors.

This sovereign-by-design model provides the legal and technical foundation needed to confidently manage sensitive health data.

An Enterprise-Ready Platform for Healthcare

Compliance requires more than just data location; it demands a feature set built for enterprise governance and security. Impossible Cloud delivers S3-compatible storage that integrates seamlessly with your existing tools and backup software. This means no costly code rewrites or complex migrations. Our platform includes advanced capabilities essential for modern healthcare IT, protecting your past investments and minimising risk.

Key features for healthcare providers include:

1. Immutable Storage with Object Lock: Protect patient records from ransomware by making them unchangeable for a defined period, a critical defence for ransomware protection.
2. Multi-Layer Encryption: All data is encrypted both in transit and at rest, meeting a core requirement of the NHS DSPT.
3. Identity and Access Management (IAM): Granular, role-driven policies and MFA support ensure only authorised personnel can access sensitive data.
4. Full S3-API Compatibility: Keep your existing backup tools, scripts, and applications running smoothly, including out-of-the-box integrations with leaders like Veeam.

This robust feature set ensures you have the technical controls needed to enforce your data governance policies effectively.

Predictable Costs and Partner-Ready Solutions

For MSPs and IT departments, budget predictability is paramount. Hyperscaler pricing models with egress fees and API call costs create financial uncertainty, especially during data recovery events. Impossible Cloud eliminates this with a transparent model: no egress fees, no API call costs, and no minimum storage duration. This allows for predictable margins for MSPs offering Backup-as-a-Service and stable budgets for enterprise IT.

We are committed to the UK channel, demonstrated by our partnership with our first UK distributor, Northamber plc. Our partner console offers multi-tenant management, automation via API/CLI, and clear reporting to simplify operations for MSPs. This focus on the partner ecosystem makes it easier for UK organisations to access sovereign, compliant cloud storage through trusted local experts who understand UK data residency solutions.

Building a Resilient Future for UK Health Data

Meeting today's UK health data sovereignty requirements is the first step. The upcoming EU Data Act, effective from September 2025, will introduce new rules on data portability and interoperability, further challenging vendor lock-in. Impossible Cloud's use of open standards and the S3 API ensures you have a real exit strategy, preserving your long-term freedom of action.

Our "Always-Hot" storage architecture provides another layer of resilience. Unlike complex tiering models that can cause restore delays and hidden fees, all data is immediately accessible. This simplifies operations, ensures predictable performance for third-party tools, and strengthens your ability to meet recovery time objectives (RTOs). By choosing a sovereign, predictable, and resilient platform, you build a future-proof foundation for UK health data that aligns with both current and emerging compliance demands.