Chapter 4

[Ross Anderson]

The latest NHS initiative appears to be moving the notes kept in your
GP's surgery on to central servers. Very convenient, you see - the poor
GP no longer has to worry about tiresome things like backup

Ross


Ian Batten: 

> Perhaps not, but
> http://www.observer.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,336271,00.html gives good
> guidance on the extent to which the NHS, the government arm that for
> most of us currently holds the most personal data, treats that trust.
> All the following examples, if true, are reasons that the government
> cannot be trusted with more confidential data if they cannot keep the
> stuff they already hold remotely private.  And that's before we consider
> section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001, which strikes me as a
> paper Alderhay waiting to happen.
> 
> ian
> 
> . A 68-year-old man was refused a place in a care home when social
>   services found from his medical records that he was gay.
> 
> . An uncle found out that his niece had a secret abortion when the
>   company he worked for was asked to do a financial audit of the local
>   health authority. He told her parents, who are very religious.
> 
> . A woman was sacked after her GP sent her records to her employer. The
>   notes revealed that she had a history of mental health problems.
> 
> . Patients with medical conditions have been approached by researchers
>   who have had access to their records.
> 
> . The medical histories of everyone living in Oxford are used without
>   their knowledge by Oxford University for research. Names are removed,
>   but patient groups claim individuals are identifiable through post
>   codes.
> 
> . An MP was sent the medical records of a constituent without her
>   consent. She found out only when the MP passed on the records to her.