4 ms·

UK's Labour Party calls for delay to NHS Digital's GP data slurp

69 points by jjgreen 5y ago

iso1631 5y ago
How long until you have to opt in to get an "optional" covid passport to go to the cinema, get on a train, or send your kids to school? (I booked my covid shot the minute I became eligible, and I'm happy to have a stamp in my passport saying I've had them - I'm no antivaxer, but I can easily see the government using it as a way to acquire more power)
- dbbk 5y ago
  That's not happening
  - mikeodds 5y ago
    I realise this is a much longer discussion than this comment allows. It’s a lot easier to protest and stop a system being built that will be used for X but also allow Y, than allowing the system for X to be built and used and stop the feature switch for Y being turned on. I would have dismissed the original comment at one point, but when you have situations like this playing out I think it is fair to give it more thought: “Police stop people for covering their faces from facial recognition camera then fine man £90 after he protested (2019)” https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/facial-recognition-cameras-technology-london-trial-met-police-face-cover-man-fined-a8756936.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/facial-recogniti...
    - dTal 5y ago
      Well, at least that particular excess was thoroughly nipped in the bud, albeit not by any deliberate means.
monkeydust 5y ago
I am in the UK and this is the first I have heard of this and I consider myself well informed. I am actually not necessarily against this in principal but its been really badly communicated (lack of it) so a delay seems reasonable to me.
- stuaxo 5y ago
  Pretty sure this is letting the likes of Peter Theils company get access to it, it cannot be a good thing.
anonymousDan 5y ago
It's pretty disgusting the way they are trying to slip this through the backdoor. They are also making it super difficult to opt-out - you have to print out a form and physically hand it to your gp if you have children for example. Not also that there are TWO opt-outs that you have to do. This site is a great explanation of what you need to do: https://medconfidential.org/how-to-opt-out/ https://medconfidential.org/how-to-opt-out/ The NHS digital one is almost purposely confusing.
- lol768 5y ago
  > you have to print out a form and physically hand it to your gp if you have children for example Not only if you have children - everyone has to fill in the form (or verbally request it from the admin team at the GP surgery) for a type 1 opt-out to be actioned.
- iechoz6H 5y ago
  The NHS Digital website [1] detailing the opt-out process was last edited on 10th December 2019 suggesting that the accusation they are trying to sneak this in under cover of Covid is probably wide of the mark. It also seems pretty clear to me. [1] https://digital.nhs.uk/about-nhs-digital/our-work/keeping-patient-data-safe/how-we-look-after-your-health-and-care-information/your-information-choices/opting-out-of-sharing-your-confidential-patient-information https://digital.nhs.uk/about-nhs-digital/our-work/keeping-pa...
  - Havoc 5y ago
    >Sorry, we could not find your contact details So much for opting out
- throw14082020 5y ago
  We are also not allowed to go into the GP! Because of Covid!
sideshowb 5y ago
I can't help but feel calling this GPDPR is a sly attempt to associate it with GDPR. That said, the linked article doesn't give any good reason why our heath data shouldn't be used for research and planning. It's clearly in the public interest. Of course I have little faith that the UK government won't leave it lying on a train somewhere, whence it will be deanonymised and shared with all the wrong people, alternatively they'll eventually share it with insurers despite their words to the contrary etc. But the Register doesn't try to argue that point, so what is their ground for objection exactly?
- alephu5 5y ago
  This shows several ways that data has leaked already. https://www.theysolditanyway.com https://www.theysolditanyway.com

69 points by jjgreen 5y ago

How long until you have to opt in to get an "optional" covid passport to go to the cinema, get on a train, or send your kids to school? (I booked my covid shot the minute I became eligible, and I'm happy to have a stamp in my passport saying I've had them - I'm no antivaxer, but I can easily see the government using it as a way to acquire more power)

dbbk 5y ago
That's not happening
- mikeodds 5y ago
  I realise this is a much longer discussion than this comment allows. It’s a lot easier to protest and stop a system being built that will be used for X but also allow Y, than allowing the system for X to be built and used and stop the feature switch for Y being turned on. I would have dismissed the original comment at one point, but when you have situations like this playing out I think it is fair to give it more thought: “Police stop people for covering their faces from facial recognition camera then fine man £90 after he protested (2019)” https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/facial-recognition-cameras-technology-london-trial-met-police-face-cover-man-fined-a8756936.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/facial-recogniti...
  - dTal 5y ago
    Well, at least that particular excess was thoroughly nipped in the bud, albeit not by any deliberate means.

monkeydust 5y ago

I am in the UK and this is the first I have heard of this and I consider myself well informed. I am actually not necessarily against this in principal but its been really badly communicated (lack of it) so a delay seems reasonable to me.

stuaxo 5y ago
Pretty sure this is letting the likes of Peter Theils company get access to it, it cannot be a good thing.

anonymousDan 5y ago

It's pretty disgusting the way they are trying to slip this through the backdoor. They are also making it super difficult to opt-out - you have to print out a form and physically hand it to your gp if you have children for example. Not also that there are TWO opt-outs that you have to do. This site is a great explanation of what you need to do: https://medconfidential.org/how-to-opt-out/ https://medconfidential.org/how-to-opt-out/ The NHS digital one is almost purposely confusing.

lol768 5y ago
> you have to print out a form and physically hand it to your gp if you have children for example Not only if you have children - everyone has to fill in the form (or verbally request it from the admin team at the GP surgery) for a type 1 opt-out to be actioned.
iechoz6H 5y ago
The NHS Digital website [1] detailing the opt-out process was last edited on 10th December 2019 suggesting that the accusation they are trying to sneak this in under cover of Covid is probably wide of the mark. It also seems pretty clear to me. [1] https://digital.nhs.uk/about-nhs-digital/our-work/keeping-patient-data-safe/how-we-look-after-your-health-and-care-information/your-information-choices/opting-out-of-sharing-your-confidential-patient-information https://digital.nhs.uk/about-nhs-digital/our-work/keeping-pa...
- Havoc 5y ago
  >Sorry, we could not find your contact details So much for opting out
throw14082020 5y ago
We are also not allowed to go into the GP! Because of Covid!

sideshowb 5y ago

I can't help but feel calling this GPDPR is a sly attempt to associate it with GDPR. That said, the linked article doesn't give any good reason why our heath data shouldn't be used for research and planning. It's clearly in the public interest. Of course I have little faith that the UK government won't leave it lying on a train somewhere, whence it will be deanonymised and shared with all the wrong people, alternatively they'll eventually share it with insurers despite their words to the contrary etc. But the Register doesn't try to argue that point, so what is their ground for objection exactly?

alephu5 5y ago
This shows several ways that data has leaked already. https://www.theysolditanyway.com https://www.theysolditanyway.com