>I fully expected to read the details and see that the headline was some sort of hyperbole It really is, see the source page for more details: http://www.hsci

>I fully expected to read the details and see that the headline was some sort of hyperbole It really is, see the source page for more details: http://www.hscic.gov.uk/dlesaac http://www.hscic.gov.uk/dlesaac The misunderstanding going on in the comments seems to be stemming from a failure to distinguish between personal identifiable data and personal confidential data. The former: "This includes patient identifiable data, such as: NHS number Name Address Postcode Date of Birth Date of Death" and the latter: "Personal confidential data also includes sensitive data which may include items such as: Racial or ethnic origin Political opinions Religious or other similar beliefs Physical or mental health condition Sexual life Criminal record" The patient identifiable needs explicit permission from the patient in order to obtain, patient confidential needs a good legal reason + reviewed application.