Family doctors ‘to shun’ database

A recent survey has revealed that family GPs plan to ignore government plans to put the medical records of NHS patients on a single national database.

The questionnaire from the Guardian found that 59 per cent of GPs based in England will not upload any patient information to the system without explicit consent from the patient themselves.

Furthermore, three-quarters of doctors expressed fears that patient records would be less secure if put on to such a database, with concerns regarding unauthorised access from non-NHS employees and hackers.

“Our current record confidentiality has been breached by a local primary care trust manager and we only found out by accident,” one GP told those conducting the poll.

“I cannot trust the security of a national scheme.”

In October 2006, the Department of Health reported that patients will be informed in advance of the implementation of any new patient record system, with the right to opt out of having information shared.

Lord Warner, health minister, noted that patients who do not choose to exercise this right will be regarded as having given their implied consent to the sharing of information to medical staff under strict controls.