How to opt out of sharing your medical records

“This has been done very swiftly and in a totally underhand manner and with a lamentable lack of publicity.”

Some years ago, there was quite a debate about the NHS intending to share medical records, with the Futures Forum receiving a fair bit of interest:

Futures Forum: The pros and cons of sharing medical information

Futures Forum: NHS Care.data > How much data should be shared? > And who with?

The same intention is now on the books – but without the debate.

Earlier today, the EDW posted a form to opt out of the system:

Government plans to harvest patient data from GPs | East Devon Watch

As well as a very substantial piece from openDemocracy:

Legal threat sharpens over UK government plans to harvest patient data from GPs | openDemocracy

And an online petition:

Petition: Don’t share our health data for profit | openDemocracy

Here is comment also posted today on the socal media platform Nextdoor:

Your medical data.

Please consider this very underhand move on behalf of the Government to sell your medical information to anyone interested – unless you OPT OUT! https://medconfidential.org/how-to-opt-out/ Please share this link with everyone .

The Government will be moving everyone’s GP and hospital information on to a central database which can then be sold on to private companies later this month This will include data re every aspect of your health, physical, mental and sexual , plus all personal information that may be incidentally recorded on your medical records.

This has been done very swiftly and in a totally underhand manner and with a lamentable lack of publicity.

TO OPT OUT you need to take action by June 23 rd at latest. The link above tells people very clearly what action you need to take to prevent this happening.

How to opt out | medConfidential

This is not a ‘fringe’ objection, as shown by the general response in the media: