Is your NHS data safe from sale?

Content Sections

• Secure your medical records

When you visit your GP you expect the information you share to remain private and confidential and that your medical records will not be shared with anyone without your consent. All that’s changing as Big Tech companies such as Google line up to gain access to one of the biggest pots of health data gold to be found anywhere.

In 2016 The Royal Free NHS trust agreed to share confidential medical records for 1.6 million patients with Google owned AI company, DeepMind. In October 2019 four UK NHS Trusts signed a deal giving DeepMind access to 5 years worth of sensitive patient data despite a previous deal being ruled non-compliant with data protection laws. At the time the news raised significant concerns about the privacy of data patients hadn’t consented to being shared leaving it ripe to be harvested for commercial use.

Fast forward to 2021 and GP medical records remain at risk of being sold to the highest bidder unless you opt outfrom having your data shared for research and analysis purposes!

The countdown to the mass copying of GP medical records by the government has begun, with a view to them being offered for sale to third parties. You may wonder why you haven’t heard about this before. It’s because the government hasn’t told you! Information remains sketchy and contradictory.

What’s clear though is you have until the 23rd June 2021 (UPDATE 09/06/21 – the NHS has now extended the date for opt-out 1st Sept 2021) to tell the NHS that you don’t want your GP medical records to be copied and used for ‘research’ purposes. The NHS says it will never sell your data to the highest bidder but given their track record it’s entirely plausible such a scenario could occur.

Secure your medical records

The process to opt out is confusing and difficult, so non-profit organisation, MedConfidential has put together a step by step guide, along with an opt-out form you can use, to ensure your GP medical records remain private and confidential and do not leave your GP practice. They point out that securing your medical information will not affect future medical care. So, if you haven’t already opted out now is the time to do so to keep your data from falling into the hands of greedy Big Tech companies lining up for a bite of the NHS data pie. Please note to protect your GP records you must use the form provided by MedConfidential and return it your GP.