UK govt plans to release patient healthcare records to private companies

Dear UK govt,

An essential part of healthcare provision is the guarantee of confidentiality. This principle stems centuries. Patient data is not a 'product'. It is not available wholesale to be sold to the highest bidder. It is confidential personal information. It does not belong to anyone other than the individual in question. This information is given to a health care provider in confidence, and with the understanding that this personal information is used to help the individual patient. That personal information is not to be utilised for any other purpose.

If the patient is informed about a specific research, and they actively choose to be a part of this specific research, and they give informed consent specifically for this purpose, then it is ethical for their personal information to be used for that specific research, and solely for that research. This system already exists.

I stress, healthcare is not a business. It is a service. Hence, National Health Service - not National Health Business. The 'Facebook' approach to personal information is not an ethical approach. I hope those in government have enough common sense to realise this. If they do not have the sense to realise this, I hope those in the legal and justice profession would be kind enough to explain this to the politicians.

Kind regards,

A Doctor

The article below

NHS Records Access For Life Science Firm

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/nhs-records-access-life-science-firms-034859906.html

NHS patient records would be shared with private health care companies including firms which test on animals under new government plans.

David Cameron will promise closer links between the health service and the life science sector in a speech tomorrow.

The Prime Minister is expected to say that the controversial industry could become a powerhouse of the British economy if regulation can be eased.

It currently has an annual turnover of £50bn and already employs 160,000 people across 4,500 companies.

It is thought the proposals would also give private firms more freedom to run clinical trials inside NHS hospitals.

However patients' groups are unlikely to support the move amid concerns about confidentiality and the security of people's details.

A government spokesman said all efforts would be made to protect the privacy of patients:

"The life sciences industry is of vital importance to the UK economy and we are committed to greater collaboration with the NHS to ensure that patients can get faster access to valuable treatments.

"All necessary safeguards would be in place to ensure protection of patients' details - the data will be anonymised and the process will be carefully and robustly regulated.

"Healthcare charities, researchers and clinicians are calling for this action in order to improve research, innovation and the development of medicines in the UK."

The decision is also likely to be unpopular with animal rights groups who would be unhappy with firms who test on animals being granted access to NHS information.

Mr Cameron's speech is also expected to outline plans to grant cancer sufferers and other seriously ill patients early access to new drugs before they are fully licensed.