NHS Digital’s “data grab” delayed

You may have noticed that there’s been a lot of talk in the news recently regarding NHS Digital’s plan to pool medical records and share those records with third parties on database.

There’s anger over the fact that patients must specifically opt out, rather than opt in, to data being shared in this way. Apparently, the data is to be pseudonymised (so you wouldn’t be able to read it without access to an additional key or more information) and only shared for research purposes. Originally this was supposed to happen on 1 July, but it has been delayed by 2 months to 1 September.

The Information Commissioner has welcomed the delay, and the intention is that NHS Digital will consult and obtain feedback with key stakeholders.

For more information about data protection and discuss if your business is doing the right things to stay compliant, get in touch. Contact Alex Craig on 0191 211 7911 or email [email protected]