The Doctors\u2019 Association UK (DAUK) has warned that proposed legislation enabling a national Single Patient Record risks undermining patient trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr Sarah Jacques, DAUK GP co-lead, has called for the new Health Bill to include stronger safeguards and transparency measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking to Pulse Today<\/a>, Dr Jacques expressed concern that the new Health Bill grants ministers sweeping powers over access to patient data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She said the proposals showed \u2018a total disregard for our personal information and the consequences of sharing that information with the powers that be\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And she warned that expanded access could ultimately be driven by financial interests rather than patient benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr Jacques said: \u201cWith what they are proposing, certain groups have unfettered access to identifiable data. It\u2019s not what a single patient record should really fundamentally be about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt should be just for the clinician and the patients. It shouldn\u2019t be for groups of people to do data grabs for their own benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t necessarily disagree that we perhaps need more information for research and things like that, but there has to be a different way of going about getting that information, and it needs to be transparent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe need to know who is asking for it, why they\u2019re asking, and when they\u2019re accessing that information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe need to understand the implications of what it would be someone shared that information for research purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNobody\u2019s going to have a say in any of that in the current guise of the bill.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nHealth Bill<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Data grab<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Understand the implications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n