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Written question asked by Roger Godsiff (Labour) on Friday, 20 February 2015, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 24 February 2015. It was answered by Dan Poulter (Conservative) on Thursday, 26 February 2015 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Medical Records: Databases

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to his Department's leaflet Better information means better care, published January 2014, and the oral evidence to the Health Committee of Dame Fiona Caldicott, 21 January 2015 to Question 705, what steps he is taking to ensure that if patients choose to opt out of care.data this will not have any adverse effect on (a) bowel screening, (b) e-referrals and (c) other services.

Answer

The process for objecting (‘opting out’) will be communicated during the care.data pathfinder stage and will apply to the use of identifiable general practitioner data for purposes beyond direct care. The care.data Programme team is working closely with clinical commissioning group pathfinder practices to ensure that it is understood that the opt-out should not impact upon the sharing of information for direct care.

The care.data Programme team is working closely with the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), NHS England and the Department in relation to ‘type 2 objections’. Appropriate communications will be agreed before starting communication activity in pathfinder areas.

For those people who have made an existing ‘type 2 objection’, the HSCIC is committed to ensuring no patient suffers any adverse impact on their direct care through an inappropriate implementation of an objection. This means that information flows to support services such as cancer screening, electronic prescriptions and e-referrals are currently flowing and will continue to do so.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
224561
Session
2014-15
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Databases Patients Medical records Screening
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk