By . Sophie Borland . PUBLISHED: . 17:58 EST, 17 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:58 EST, 17 February 2014 . Concerns: Dr Chaand Nagpaul, of the BMA's GP committee, said the Government¿s public information campaign for Care.data had 'clearly' not worked . Plans to harvest patients’ private medical data were in crisis last night after the main doctors’ union voiced ‘deep concerns’. The British Medical Association, which represents 150,000 doctors, urged officials to delay the scheme – warning that patients had been left in the dark. It said surgeries across the country were being contacted by countless members of the public demanding to know what was going to happen with their confidential medical details. It emerged yesterday that NHS England – which is overseeing the Care.data project – had accepted there was a risk the database could be hacked into and used ‘maliciously’. The Royal College of GPs voiced similar concerns last week and said the scheme had created a ‘crisis in public confidence’. Such interventions from leading medical bodies have thrown the project into chaos just weeks before it is due to begin. Starting next month, officials will begin extracting information about illnesses, prescriptions and test results from every patient’s file unless they have opted-out. NHS officials say the details will be used to identify pockets of poor care but there is concern they will fall into the hands of hackers and insurance firms. The BMA is to hold urgent discussions with NHS England later this week about how to better inform patients. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, of the BMA’s GP committee, said the Government’s public information campaign for Care.data had ‘clearly’ not worked. ‘With just weeks to go until the uploading of patient data is scheduled to begin, patients remain inadequately informed about these proposals,’ he said. ‘GPs across the country are telling us that large numbers of their patients have not received any information, and therefore remain completely unaware that their data will be uploaded, whilst others remain worried about who will have access to it and what it will be used for. ‘The BMA continues to support the principle of using anonymised data to plan and improve the quality of NHS care for patients. However this must be done with the support and consent of the public.’ It is thought that leaflets dropped through doors last month may have got lost or thrown out with junk mail. Anger: Several GPs' groups have now spoken out over the planned changes by the NHS (photo posed by models) The Mail reported yesterday on a survey of 667 GPs which found that 8 in 10 did not fully understand why the NHS needed to harvest the data. NHS officials say the information will be stored anonymously with only a patient’s date of birth, postcode and NHS number kept on file alongside medical details. But experts say it would take only two hours for insurance firms, for example, to track down patients based on these details alone. Potentially they could raise patients’ premiums based on their medical conditions or family history of illness. Roger Goss, of Patient Concern said: ‘If surgeries are forced to release patients’ medical records without their properly informed consent, it will make providing good care even more difficult than it already is. ‘People will withhold everything that they fear may get into the wrong hands. Diagnoses will become even harder and slower.’ While a risk assessment document produced by NHS England had accepted the information could be used ‘maliciously’, Tim Kelsey, its national director for patients and information, insisted there were safeguards in place to prevent this.
BMA, which represents 150,000 GPs, has urged government to delay rollout .
Committee member Dr Chaand Nagpaul said patients were ill-informed .
It comes after concerns were raised last week by the Royal College of GPs .
By . Sophie Borland . PUBLISHED: . 17:58 EST, 17 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:58 EST, 17 February 2014 . Concerns: Dr Chaand Nagpaul, of the BMA's GP committee, said the Government¿s public information campaign for Care.data had 'clearly' not worked . Plans to harvest patients’ private medical data were in crisis last night after the main doctors’ union voiced ‘deep concerns’. The British Medical Association, which represents 150,000 doctors, urged officials to delay the scheme – warning that patients had been left in the dark. It said surgeries across the country were being contacted by countless members of the public demanding to know what was going to happen with their confidential medical details. It emerged yesterday that NHS England – which is overseeing the Care.data project – had accepted there was a risk the database could be hacked into and used ‘maliciously’. The Royal College of GPs voiced similar concerns last week and said the scheme had created a ‘crisis in public confidence’. Such interventions from leading medical bodies have thrown the project into chaos just weeks before it is due to begin. Starting next month, officials will begin extracting information about illnesses, prescriptions and test results from every patient’s file unless they have opted-out. NHS officials say the details will be used to identify pockets of poor care but there is concern they will fall into the hands of hackers and insurance firms. The BMA is to hold urgent discussions with NHS England later this week about how to better inform patients. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, of the BMA’s GP committee, said the Government’s public information campaign for Care.data had ‘clearly’ not worked. ‘With just weeks to go until the uploading of patient data is scheduled to begin, patients remain inadequately informed about these proposals,’ he said. ‘GPs across the country are telling us that large numbers of their patients have not received any information, and therefore remain completely unaware that their data will be uploaded, whilst others remain worried about who will have access to it and what it will be used for. ‘The BMA continues to support the principle of using anonymised data to plan and improve the quality of NHS care for patients. However this must be done with the support and consent of the public.’ It is thought that leaflets dropped through doors last month may have got lost or thrown out with junk mail. Anger: Several GPs' groups have now spoken out over the planned changes by the NHS (photo posed by models) The Mail reported yesterday on a survey of 667 GPs which found that 8 in 10 did not fully understand why the NHS needed to harvest the data. NHS officials say the information will be stored anonymously with only a patient’s date of birth, postcode and NHS number kept on file alongside medical details. But experts say it would take only two hours for insurance firms, for example, to track down patients based on these details alone. Potentially they could raise patients’ premiums based on their medical conditions or family history of illness. Roger Goss, of Patient Concern said: ‘If surgeries are forced to release patients’ medical records without their properly informed consent, it will make providing good care even more difficult than it already is. ‘People will withhold everything that they fear may get into the wrong hands. Diagnoses will become even harder and slower.’ While a risk assessment document produced by NHS England had accepted the information could be used ‘maliciously’, Tim Kelsey, its national director for patients and information, insisted there were safeguards in place to prevent this.
February 2014 . Concerns: Dr Chaand Nagpaul, of represents 150,000 doctors, urged officials to delay the scheme – warning that patients had been into and used ‘maliciously’. The Royal College of GPs voiced similar concerns last week and said