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Couple years back they wanted to give all your medical records to be managed by an American company and they needed your permission to do so.

Then the NHS wanted your med records to be widely available to selected parties and again needed your consent

Now they are getting more sneaky. You now have to opt out by contacting your GP and they only tell you this camoflagued in a glossy piece of mail that looks just like junk mail.

All for med info being available to help research but it will soon be like the internet that plagues you ads for things youve been looking at.

let's break this down shall we...

- said american company that is a data storage facility. you know, because we haven't got enough physical space over here to store EVERYONE EVER's physical paper notes while in the states they have... what happens is you send them a physical volume of notes, they store it in a f**k-off massive warehouse (securely) and scan it and send you a pdf file to attach to the nhs system thus saving a fair bit of physical space. no "giving them the notes" was happening


it would be SO MUCH better for NHS records to be widely available, then we wouldn't have the effing bureaucracy in getting hold of people's history if they're from a different part of the country or even from a different trust.
example: i work for CWP and when we get a patuient from norfolk, southampton or even liverpool we have to go through a lot of paperwork, money and messing about to get said patient's physical (or even digital) notes sent to us otherwise we don't know their medical history, allergies, section status etc.


anyone can opt-out, but it benefits everyone if you don't


false: read all about the 'Data Protection Act 1998' and the NHS's code of confidentiality

also you speak as if the NHS is one big organisation, it's not any more, there's LOADS of smaller 'trusts' and what was the PCT (Primary Care Trust) is now CCG's and LAT's (Clinical Commissioning Groups and Local Area Team's respectively) basically meaning that GP's in the area control the budget, not the government. so anything that happens at clatterbridge, arrowe park, etc etc right down to NHS dentists and other community services, GP's have control of their budget so if the GP's don't see a point of say, community mental health, and choose to cut it's budget, there's no govt paperwork, they can just do it, and are doing it... unfortunately.

so ultimately, sending your records to USA for physical storage and then getting a scanned document on a country-wide NHS system is a LOT more value than storing the records in a wing of a hospital that could be more wards or something... and a country-wide NHS system would be beneficial for everyone working for the NHS (please trust me on that)

that is all.


edit: oh and if you're moaning about your medical history being used for research, don't ever go to a hospital then... research has helped us cure a LOT of ailments and is continuing to do so. your records would be anonymous anyway. it would have a history and prescriptions and whatever, just no name. but even if there was a name on them, or even an nhs number, why complain? if someone turned to me and said "we're gonna get all your medical history (and for a 24 year old, trust me, i have a lot of it) and use it to research stuff" i'd stand aside and say "happily, please do" because preventing research is essentially you being selfish and difficult.

I can only recall getting the one request from my Dr for sharing info --about 2 years ago. That one was an opt out by advising the surgery in writing, but it was only to share with Strategic Health Authorities and PCT's , both of which have now gone.

I didnt opt out on that , it seemed like a good idea, but since then, data protection has become a much more high profile problem and with the Government continuing to be so hell bent on privatising the health service as well, I believe this time as the intended sharing is much wider, our medical records could quite easily end up being used for 'screening ' purposes which have more to do with saving money than giving patients a more integrated service.

AKA cutting services to the bone!!!

Quite! and in new inventive and creative ways!

So does this mean that someone in a temporary clerical position can investigate the NHS information on anyone they please?

Can you imagine the damage that could do in certain circumstances.

My file is about 3 inches thick and I don't care who reads it.

.

Personally, I don't like this at all and what has it to do with the USA ? None of their business, unless.....
They seem to be collecting data from just about every source there is these days and probably paying a high price for the privilege.

Not good, and so far as storing vast quantities of paper work for us, that's complete nonsense. What good would it be storing it over there, it wouldn't be accessible and would they really want to do us that kind of favour? I don't think so.It will all be incinerated and the information (hopefully correct and not open to human error) will be used for getting another compiled list of everyone in this country, who their parents were, who their children are, who they are married to, what colour they are, where they live etc. Very clever.
I'm just waiting for every child born to be implanted with a chip. Won't be long now, under some pretence that it will be better for potty training! ......and there is nothing we can do! Democracy my ass.

Plus, why can't we do it here, we need the jobs and we are more clever than the yanks.

Edward Snowdon is very much in my mind right now.

Granny, there's a reason for storing it "over there"....they the good ole USA. do not have, or adhere to our U.K. privacy acts,or policys... they also have a citizen act I think its called where the powers that be can collect and use any data, on their soil. for whatever purpose they wish......(remember the backlash in the last census,,)....now its very strange to bring this in when the selling off of the NHS is in full swing..... giving the likes of Richard Branson a large stakehold in our hospital and surgerys.......

Not long before we are given bar codes.

Is there a reason you call yourself 'baggyuncle' ?

I can see some of the benefits we have from our records going digital in this country. They are linked now and if I go to the dentist, then he knows my medical history without having to ask, and I having to repeat every time. That's good, just hope they don't have them mixed up with someone else (which has already happened on one occasion to myself and probably down to incompetent receptionists) ! If they are already digitalized in the UK, I can't understand why it needs to be Xferred to USA. Plus, my daughter needed a copy of her medical records a few months back and was told it would cost her £50 . Even more cheek, but told if she went to Murrayfields(which was BUPA. then Spire, next sold to Cinven a European consortium ) which is Private, but where she'd had the treatment on NHS, she could get them for free. Now who can make top or tale of that lot.
There's a lot of errors taking place, which is worrying, and we don't need the help of the USA. The American people don't want their records digitalised either. SO it's bully tactics again and yes Casper, you may make your comment in gest, but we've seen it in films, and what we see in Sci Fi films, generally some genius follows through.

Cloning is very much on the way. We could end up with a similar Terracotta Army, or a new civilisation WITH ID for one of the planets they are likely to conquer. Now there's an idea for a film ! Who wants 'star' role ?

Anyone can check their medical records free by making an appointment with their medical practice. I don't think they have to give you a hard copy though.

She needed copies. Which they were going to photocopy!