Page 1 of Should patient data be made available to private firms?

So just to clarify, this data is partially anonymised, but nowhere near enough for smart software to match it up with individuals.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jan/19/nhs-patient-data-available-companies-buy

Quote:
Drug and insurance companies will from later this year be able to buy information on patients – including mental health conditions and diseases such as cancer, as well as smoking and drinking habits – once a single English database of medical data has been created.

I voted I'm not sure, but in thinking about it a little further, I think maybe NHS records should be for NHS use only...what's wrong or right with me is surely something that should be between me and the doctors treating me, especially if it is possible to track down who people are from the information provided.

I have a couple of medical conditions, I suffered badly with post natal depression and was a victim of domestic abuse.  I don't mind sharing with you guys, we all share together here and I'd hazzard a guess most of you haven't a clue who I am and probably couldn't care less, but I'm not particularly happy with companies having access to that sort of information without my say so.  It's not that I want to hide it as such, and I'll discuss stuff with pretty much anyone who cares to ask once I know you a tiny bit, but people judge and label you and stick you in little boxes when they know your past and I believe it might cause people to have trouble getting insurance etc if the companies can check every detail from their pasts, which seems grossly unfair to me.

I voted for our records being confidential within the NHS.

This could result in people being reluctant to get treated for conditions for fear of it getting back to employers etc. That is not acceptable.

Quote:
fluff_n_stuff says...
"I don't mind sharing with you guys, we all share together here and I'd hazzard a guess most of you haven't a clue who I am and probably couldn't care less"
I think that's what I like about forums. You can share personal details whilst still being anonymous to an extent, it's like a social media platform but you get to decide (well mostly) your own level of privacy.


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I voted NHS only as once a change is made it usually becomes a stepping stone towards a further change at a not too distant later date.

I voted 'No, patient records should be for NHS use only'

Reason being is car number plates as a good example, as just about everyone can now get a hold of your DVLA information, as they sell it on, Your plate, your address, your details, your cars details.

And it is also sold on to loads of 3rd parties, car dealerships, car financial services, car websites like tyre buying, just put in your reg and they tell you the tyres needed, etc, and at anyone of these places, people can obtain info off a crooked employee.

This would happen if our medical records were available to others. Its not on.

Imagine if you boss got those records to find out how non-fit you were, or private medical insurance companies upping their monthly fees.

I voted for NHS use only, but I do think statistical data could be made available to the private sector as long as it was completely anonymous.

I suspect, however, somebody in the Palace of Westminster has taken a huge bung and promise of a directorship from the pharmaceutical and insurance industries, so what I think doesn't really matter.

If this kind of crap is inevitable, I'd hope the Data Protection legislation was fitted with decent dentures on the NHS to prevent misuse of the data.  I'm not holding my breath, by the way.

J Mark Oates

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/mar/03/nhs-england-patient-data-google-servers?CMP=twt_gu#comments

Quote:
A prominent Tory MP on the powerful health select committee has questioned how the entire NHS hospital patient database for England was handed over to management consultants who uploaded it to Google servers based outside the UK.

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I used to work for the NHS, didn't deal with patient records, but staff data, payroll, supplies, debtors, creditors etc, and there were v strict rules about that, that the data couldn't be stored overseas.

However, the part of the NHS I worked for got taken over by an outsourcing company, who had offices in India. Data couldn't be stored on servers there, so at first they used terminal servers to access data, and then we moved to Citrix, for the added security, amongst other reasons. We had to make sure they couldn't print locally, email their non NHS accounts from their NHS accounts.


etc

Oh look:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/29/google_given_access_to_reams_of_confidential_patient_information/

Quote:
In an agreement uncovered by the New Scientist, Google and its DeepMind artificial intelligence wing have been granted access to current and historic patient data at three London hospitals run by the Royal Free NHS Trust, covering 1.6 million individuals.

That would include any chronic illness people may be suffering from and the circumstances over why they were admitted – for example, if they have suffered a drug overdose. The agreement provides Google with access to data going back five years and is far more expansive than expected.

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