Sharing of your Identifiable GP Surgery Patient Data

[Gary Manuel]

Not sure whether anyone knows (or cares) about this, but are you aware that unless you opt out by 23rd June, your GP surgery will start sharing your personal data for "planning and research" purposes?

 

I didn't know the full details until today, but have decided to opt out. I thought it was worthy of spreading around.

 

HERE's the story.

 

HERE's the NHS website with opt-out details.

 

HERE's details of the easiest way to opt out if you feel that it's important, as I do. Forms to send to your GP and on-line opt-out forms can be found here.

Edited June 7, 2021 by Gary Manuel

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

I've shared this on F/B, opting out myself.

[Geoff Copping]

I put in an opt-out a long time ago so they're obviously trying to dodge round it.

 

Thanks  for the links, I've opted out online and I'll drop letter to my GP later today.

 

Given experiences with DVLA etc. I'd rather eat my wife's cooking than trust the gummint on security of my data.

[stu knowles]

Nope,   Thought about it...... Don't care.   If it helps someone down the line, get on with it

[Gary Manuel]

5 minutes ago, stu knowles said:

Nope,   Thought about it...... Don't care.   If it helps someone down the line, get on with it

That's fine. The main thing is that you have made an informed decision about the sharing of your personal medical information. I suspect that a lot of people won't realise that this is happening.

[GrumpyGnome]

I believe that the personal data is postcode and age.... nothing else.  Enough to perhaps identify individuals with some effort, skill and access to a full digital electoral roll...

[Gary Manuel]

13 minutes ago, GrumpyGnome said:

I believe that the personal data is postcode and age.... nothing else.  Enough to perhaps identify individuals with some effort, skill and access to a full digital electoral roll...

 

Well I would say that my medical history is also personal data.

 

P.S. your Name and Address are not taken but your Full Postcode, Date of Birth and NHS number are. They are encoded before being taken and can be decoded back to usable data by NHS Digital if they need to. The question then becomes one of trust. Will the decoding software ever fall into the wrong hands or be reverse engineered?

 

I'm not campaigning for opting out, just for people being allowed to make informed decisions. This is only possible if they know about what is happening.

 

 

[Keith Berriman]

Very interesting topics thank you for the links

Strange enough the other week I was text by my local GP surgery asking for Consent Dissent as to wether 

I was happy to contacted by the surgery by text 

 

I gave my  Consett no problem as trying to book an appointment is hours 

 

Better make sure and complete the forms above to Dissent my medical records being read by others 

[Gary Manuel]

35 minutes ago, Cassandra said:

 

That's good. An extra two months to make the public aware of the data harvest.

[Andy48]

I've been part of Biobank research for years, if it helps future generations all for the better. That data is shared, so why should I care about the doctor sharing some data?

[Gary Manuel]

Just now, Andy48 said:

I've been part of Biobank research for years, if it helps future generations all for the better. That data is shared, so why should I care about the doctor sharing some data?

You don't need to care, as long as you know it's happening and give your consent.

[i12fly]

At my stage in life, if it can help others then why not. I'm one of the millions in the shoal, so I think it unlikely anyone would want to go to the hassle of identifying little me.

There are 3 things that seriously annoy me though from government bodies

• It is easy to find me via the electoral role, where I live, who lives with me and other personal info. So much for GDPR
• DVLA are only too willing to provide my details to some fly-by-night parking scam company if I should park somewhere I shouldn't (so I don't!). Where's GDPR?
• There are two major hospitals in the area, but their systems don't talk to each other -the problem is that the first one took the lead in monitoring my health but sent me to the other for a major operation, so follow up is from the first hospital -and that doesn't have the operation medical details unless they specifically ask for them, which is not routine. Loony situation that doesn't look like being resolved anytime soon, the money would be better spent sorting this system out.

[Gary Manuel]

If you have recently visited your GP about a medical condition, do you really want to be bombarded with focussed mail, texts, emails etc about expensive products that may or may not help your private condition? This is one of my concerns about this initiative. Do not underestimate how valuable your medical history data is to private companies - they would love to have access to it.

 

Hopefully, the extra 2 months before the data transfer takes place will give the public the reassurances we need. Dropping it on us in stealth mode does not.

 

PS. As I type this, the issue is being reported on Channel 4 news. 

My work here is done ?

Edited June 8, 2021 by Gary Manuel

[Keith Berriman]

Just as a wider thought  how about Travel Insurance Company checking your records and increasing the premium 

if they decide something does not look normal ??

[Geoff S]

My wife and I are on the panel of the UK BioBank.   We answered questionnaires about diet etc and visited the HQ in Stockport for quite detailed medical examination which included 3 MRI scans of various parts of the body.  The data are totally anonymous and we get no feedback except if they do see any signs of something that merits attention our GP would be informed.

 

The data are used solely for research purposes and, I think, were used for the design of some of the vaccines which were created in record time to combat the current  pandemic.  So I wouldn't mind my actual data being used sourced from our NHS GP's surgery - in theory.  However, what does concern me is things like Keith Berriman raises when insurance companies may use the data to assess premiums. Plus I suspect there's money to be made and those who make won't be the majority whose data it is. There are elements amongst the powerful (including some MPs) who would love health care to become insurance-based as in the USA.

 

Geoff

[Geoff Copping]

As I understand it the data is being sold.  i.e monetised.

Without my express consent my personal information will be appropriated for free and sold for profit.

My photo's or writing are sold on a per use or lifetime basis for which I invoice the user.

Data is now a comodity so why should I be left out of the loop.

It is being sold to private profit making companies so if you want my personal information you are welcome to it providing you agree a mutually beneficial contract with me instead of lobbying the government to appropriate my personal information for free, flog it to an insurance company then use it to badger me with products I don't want.

You want my medical history? Sure, that'll be £5,000 for a lifetime license thanks.