The NHS Digital Database
A
new scheme which will see NHS Digital collate patient data from GP practices into a centralised database that was originally scheduled to be introduced in July 2021, and was subsequently delayed until September 2021 amongst significant controversy, has now been postponed indefinitely. This announcement was made just as this issue of BSA Today was all set to be signed-off. As this Data Watch article focused on the NHS Digital database and the controversy surrounding it, we have chosen to publish it in full below, followed by the letter from Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Primary Care and Health Promotion, Jo Churchill, announcing the postponement. What is it? The General Practice Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR) System, as it is formally known, will involve the transfer of GP medical records from the last 10 years into a centralised database. Why is this Data Being Shared? The data gathered on a national level can provide crucial information to support healthcare planning and research leading to better treatments and improved patient outcomes. This data is already collected centrally for hospital patients; however, given the scale, frequency and number of conditions treated, researchers believe this additional information could provide exponential benefits.
“
Data saves lives and has huge potential to rapidly improve care and outcomes, as the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has shown. The vaccine rollout could not have been delivered without effective use of data to ensure it reached the whole population.
Continued on Page 22 www.bluestreamacademy.com
Simon Bolton CEO NHS Digital[1] 21
