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Patients' medical records go online without consent
Patients’ confidential medical records are being placed on a controversial NHS database without their knowledge, doctors’ leaders have warned.
By Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent
Published: 10:20PM GMT 09 Mar 2010
Comments 38 | Comment on this article
At present 1.29 million people have had their details placed on the system. A further 8.9 million records are due to be added by June Those who do not wish to have their details on the £11 billion computer system are supposed to be able to opt out by informing health authorities.
But doctors have accused the Government of rushing the project through, meaning that patients have had their details uploaded to the database before they have had a chance to object.
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Doctors fight plans to hand medical records to researchers and private companiesThe scheme, one of the largest of its kind in the world, will eventually hold the private records of more than 50 million patients.
But it has been dogged by accusations that the private information held on it will not be safe from hackers.
The British Medical Association claims that records have been placed on the system without patients’ knowledge or consent.
It follows allegations that the Government wanted to complete the project before the Conservatives had a chance to cancel it.
In a letter to ministers published today, the BMA urges the Government to suspend the scheme.
Hamish Meldrum, its chairman, writes: "The breakneck speed with which this programme is being implemented is of huge concern.
"Patients’ right to opt out is crucial, and it is extremely alarming that records are apparently being created without them being aware of it.
"If the process continues to be rushed, not only will the rights of patients be damaged, but the limited confidence of the public and the medical profession in NHS IT will be further eroded."
At present 1.29 million people have had their details placed on the system. A further 8.9 million records are due to be added by June. By the end of next year, the NHS hopes to have more than 50 million uploaded.
The "summary" records contain basic medical information including illnesses, vaccination history, and could include medication patients have been given. Ages and addresses are also included.
Patients are supposed to be notified by letter at least 12 weeks before their details go live on the system and given the chance to opt out.
The BMA says that letters have gone to the wrong addresses and that many patients have been unsure what they mean.
Doctors point out that there has been no national advertising programme to explain the scheme, as has been the case with other government initiatives.
David Wrigley, from the BMA's GP committee, said: "The concern is that people may not be aware, because they did not receive the letter, they did not read it or they thought it was junk mail and threw it away."
The BMA also criticises the fact that the information packs do not include the form which allows patients to opt out. It can only be obtained via the internet or by calling a helpline.
Katherine Murphy, of the Patients Association, said: "The Health Service should not put in place bureaucratic obstacles to patient choice because they are worried about what patients might choose to do."
Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman, said: "The Government needs to end its obsession with massive central databases.
"The NHS IT scheme has been a disastrous waste of money and the national programme should be abandoned."
A spokesman for the Department of Health said that ministers "absolutely support" the right of patients to opt out of the scheme, adding that various options were provided to make this straightforward.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7408379/Patients-medical-records-go-online-without-consent.html
I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue! - Barry Goldwater
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| SlutPuppy....do you live in England?
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seems they had some issues with the implementation but overall creating electronic health records is the future anyways
eventually you'll have your entire genome sequenced and stored on a thumb drive which you can take with you to your doctor
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I'm probably wrong in this but I personally can't get over excited about the storing of my data on a database. Hell, the government hold my data in regards to taxation and earnings, the NHS has held my information for about 20 years previous to this new system, the passport office holds my data and movements in and out of the country. The DVLA hold my driving licence information along with endorsements and offenses. The scholastic system holds my education records and qualification and the gov has full access to my banking information if so needed.
Currently the NHS already stores each persons NHS number, doctors details and last known address. If you then attend any hospital, you have to update these details and a few more are added, of a medical nature (current medication and treatments) The change is simply to put futher details onto the hospital system without the patient having to pass them over on entry to hospital. As someone with a brother working for the NHS, one of the issues currently being experienced is patients with impaired mental abilities being checked in without someone to pass on those details. It leaves the hospital staff at a disadvantage, not always being away of a patients pull medical picture.
So for me, the idea of a change of database system hardly freaks me out. Providing it follows the Data Protection Act and they do everything they can within reason to keep my information secure, then I can't see much else to worry about. If it does get out into the wrong hands...then thats part and parcel of electronic storage. I'm not going to worry myself over it. Since our Gov' already stores all our other data on one system or another, one more is hardly the issue.
And if I may point out. This entire thread has nothing to do with socialised care. Private hospitals in the UK are also under obligation to make a patients medical records available to certain Gov' bodies. This is about our bureaucratic idiotic Gov here in the UK. We've had socialised medicine here since the 1960's....this Gov is the first to be so hell bent on centralising everything we do, up to and including how many times a day the average Brit shits 's'
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(The_Village_Idiot) (3/10/2010)
SlutPuppy....do you live in England?
You act like you believe he actually reads the bullshit he posts!
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Welp? Tell me please..is this more weird American spelling? or a literacy problem?
If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true, is really true, there would be little hope of advance......
Orville Wright
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I live in a house
i read the article before i posted it and i still found it appauling. i hope the tree you pray to dies
once again pita proves that a person with an iq lower than eighty can post stuff on the internet
I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue! - Barry Goldwater
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considering the spelling, I guess you are speaking of your own IQ.
If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true, is really true, there would be little hope of advance......
Orville Wright
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