Mac
29-01-2007, 17:55
Opting out of NHS Central Databases
The Government proposes to collect all the nation’s medical records into central NHS
databases. The British Medical Association (BMA) has serious reservations; the
medical profession has long believed that, in general, data should only be shared
with patient consent.
GPs are being asked to create a 'summary care record' from your medical notes and
upload this to the NHS 'Spine' during 2007. The summary will contain your current
prescriptions and any allergies. The intention is to upload the rest of your record (the
'detailed care record') later.
If you wish to opt out of uploading, please fill in your name, address and date of birth
overleaf, and hand the form to the receptionist.
The Department of Health (DoH) has argued that by having your details uploaded to
the NHS ‘spine’, they will be available in an emergency. You may indeed wish to
consider this if you have a medical condition such as diabetes or penicillin allergy.
However A&E Departments do work to established clinical protocols for patients for
whom they have no medical history, and a dependable centralised database seems
unlikely to exist for some time. If you do have such a condition, you should continue
to carry a card or a bracelet with you anyway, even if you do consent to the creation
of a summary record. Please speak to your doctor if you have any questions.
In November 2006, a Medix poll showed that 52% of GPs did not plan to upload their
patients’ data without prior consent – just 13% said they would upload without any
consent at all. A Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust survey released in the same month
showed that 53% of patients oppose ‘Requiring everyone's medical records to be
stored in a centralised database for access by civil servants and government officials,
with no right to opt out’. Just 27% of the public were in favour.
In 1998, the Icelandic Medical Association opposed an attempt by the government
there to build a central medical database, by providing opt-out leaflets in surgeries.
After 11% of the population opted out, the database scheme was made opt-in
instead. That resolved the political and ethical problems. We hope that a similar
solution can be found in the NHS in England.
For more information, please check out www.TheBigOptOut.org online or call our
help and advice line on 01494 882 458, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
TheBigOptOut.org is supported by NO2ID (www.NO2ID.net), FIPR (www.fipr.org), medical professionals and patients.
Exercising my Right to Opt Out
Dear Doctor,
I would be grateful if you would ensure that none of my records held by you are
entered onto the national system. Would you please also file or scan a copy of this
letter in my records and also record my dissent by entering the Read code ‘93C3 -
Refused consent for upload to national shared electronic record’ into my
computer record. I am aware of the implications of this request and will notify you
should I change my mind.
This request is itself confidential. Please do not divulge my decision, in an identifiable
manner, to anyone other than to clinicians who are providing care to me and who
might otherwise place information about me on the national care records service.
Further information for GPs is available online at www.TheBigOptOut.org/for_GPs
Yours sincerely,
(signed)
(name)
(date of birth)
(address)
The Government proposes to collect all the nation’s medical records into central NHS
databases. The British Medical Association (BMA) has serious reservations; the
medical profession has long believed that, in general, data should only be shared
with patient consent.
GPs are being asked to create a 'summary care record' from your medical notes and
upload this to the NHS 'Spine' during 2007. The summary will contain your current
prescriptions and any allergies. The intention is to upload the rest of your record (the
'detailed care record') later.
If you wish to opt out of uploading, please fill in your name, address and date of birth
overleaf, and hand the form to the receptionist.
The Department of Health (DoH) has argued that by having your details uploaded to
the NHS ‘spine’, they will be available in an emergency. You may indeed wish to
consider this if you have a medical condition such as diabetes or penicillin allergy.
However A&E Departments do work to established clinical protocols for patients for
whom they have no medical history, and a dependable centralised database seems
unlikely to exist for some time. If you do have such a condition, you should continue
to carry a card or a bracelet with you anyway, even if you do consent to the creation
of a summary record. Please speak to your doctor if you have any questions.
In November 2006, a Medix poll showed that 52% of GPs did not plan to upload their
patients’ data without prior consent – just 13% said they would upload without any
consent at all. A Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust survey released in the same month
showed that 53% of patients oppose ‘Requiring everyone's medical records to be
stored in a centralised database for access by civil servants and government officials,
with no right to opt out’. Just 27% of the public were in favour.
In 1998, the Icelandic Medical Association opposed an attempt by the government
there to build a central medical database, by providing opt-out leaflets in surgeries.
After 11% of the population opted out, the database scheme was made opt-in
instead. That resolved the political and ethical problems. We hope that a similar
solution can be found in the NHS in England.
For more information, please check out www.TheBigOptOut.org online or call our
help and advice line on 01494 882 458, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
TheBigOptOut.org is supported by NO2ID (www.NO2ID.net), FIPR (www.fipr.org), medical professionals and patients.
Exercising my Right to Opt Out
Dear Doctor,
I would be grateful if you would ensure that none of my records held by you are
entered onto the national system. Would you please also file or scan a copy of this
letter in my records and also record my dissent by entering the Read code ‘93C3 -
Refused consent for upload to national shared electronic record’ into my
computer record. I am aware of the implications of this request and will notify you
should I change my mind.
This request is itself confidential. Please do not divulge my decision, in an identifiable
manner, to anyone other than to clinicians who are providing care to me and who
might otherwise place information about me on the national care records service.
Further information for GPs is available online at www.TheBigOptOut.org/for_GPs
Yours sincerely,
(signed)
(name)
(date of birth)
(address)