CONTEXT:  Almost lost for words at the UK governments stance on individual medical records being traded as a commodity.  With everything else going on in the world right now, maybe the UK health secretary thought no one would notice this shameless data grab.  Delayed until September, we will stay on this story to see what the overall outcome is, but the implications for data protection and real-world data sources will be significant.

IMPACT:  High

READ TIME:  1 min

Quality Level Mean [1 – 10]:  9

1. “How this statement translates into an approach whereby NHS Digital — a non-departmental body commissioned by NHS England, another non-departmental body of the Department of Health and Social Care i.e. the government — should take the data by default as instructed by Hancock himself is anyone’s guess.” 

2. “Comment Against a strong field, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock has come out as a winner in the prize for stomach-churning political double-speak while addressing NHS Digital’s shameless grab for patient data held by GP surgeries in England.” 

3. “While speaking in Parliament about the vital role evidence from patient data can play in medical research — a point few contend — Hancock made the bold claim that “the vast majority of people are strongly onside” with the General Practice Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR), taking the time to cite no evidence whatsoever.” 

4. “Meanwhile, it is difficult to see how this cherished sense of data belonging to the patient is supported by the fact that patients were given only six weeks to opt out, with only a few posts on NHS Digital’s website and associated tweets by way of notification.” 

5. “Asked again if he would delay the rollout to allow for better, more inclusive communication by Munira Wilson, Lib Dem spokesperson for Health, Wellbeing and Social Care, Hancock claimed “the large majority of the NHS are now actively enthusiastic about using data better” without offering any evidence and again refusing to budge.” 

Source URL: https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/09/matt_hancock_nhs_data_grab/