Security News > 2022 > March > Fresh concerns about 'indefinite' UK government access to doctors' patient data

Concerns are being raised over UK government proposals to extend emergency powers introduced during the pandemic, giving it access to patient data held by general practitioners.

The government has decided to put in place a plan "Omitting the expiry date contained within" emergency COVID powers and "To make a consequential amendment to the review provision", with the aim of "Establishing and operating information systems to collect and analyse data in connection with COVID-19.".

The instructions were sent in February [PDF] to Simon Bolton, then interim chief executive of NHS Digital, by Simon Madden, director of data policy at NHSX, and signed by the Secretary of State.

They were followed by further directions to revoke powers [PDF] given to extract data from family doctor systems under the controversial General Practice Data for Planning and Research Directions in 2021.

GPDPR outraged campaigners and GPs when it was proposed last year, many of whom complained it gave doctors little time to prepare for the data extraction of 55 million people's health record in England, and patients had little knowledge of or choice about the use of their data.

While it might be sensible for the government to collect data about COVID from GP systems, critics argue the legal basis is unclear, as is the extent of the data to be collected.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2022/03/23/uk_government_gp_data/