Following on from my previous post Your Medical Records – Did you Know?

Care.data – Are you aware?

  • That in the coming weeks your medical records may be extracted from your GP practice and information held on a central server.
  • That records will be extracted from all GP practices in the country.
  • That data extracted will contain not only medical details, but other personal information that could identify you and make it clear to people accessing your data that this information belongs to you.
  • That the extraction of personal identifiable data is now legal and GPs must provide this data unless requested not to do so by patients.
  • Data extracted may be sold on to private companies.

So what’s my point?

Information for patients is limited and not clear.

Care.data is different from the Summary Care Record that was introduced by the previous Government, mainly due to the change in the way that confidential data is to be handled in the NHS.

Your medical records have, until now, been regarded as totally confidential and very strict processes are in place to ensure it remains so – but not for much longer.

I’m concerned – are you?

I do not believe that Care.data is just to enable the NHS to use our data to better manage services, but in a bid to sell off our information. This feels wrong and I’m concerned about it. I’ve nothing to hide and have no problem with certain information leaving my GP practice providing it is anonymised, but I do feel that I should choose who gets my personal details.

What can you do?

Write to your GP practice telling them that you do not consent to your data being shared, along the lines of…

“I do not consent to my data being shared with outside organisations, and I am exercising my right to dissent by requesting that you put the following Read code onto my medical record to prevent my data being sent to Care.data or the national audits. Read code 9Nu0 or if you are using SystmOne, XaZ89”

Additional Reading

Media interest in Care.data is slowing increasing.  Pulse Today – provided an interesting read HERE back in August entitled ‘Private Companies set for access to patient data for just £1’

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