By . Sophie Borland . PUBLISHED: . 13:36 EST, 18 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 20:25 EST, 18 February 2014 . The controversial NHS scheme to share patient data has been put on hold. File picture . A controversial NHS project to harvest data from medical records has been delayed by six months in the face of opposition from doctors and patients. Officials announced last night that the scheme would be postponed until the autumn to ensure the public is first made aware what their details will be used for and how they can opt out. Tougher checks will also be made on firms wanting to access the data amid fears it will be used by insurers to raise premiums. The move comes after the Daily Mail repeatedly highlighted concerns among GPs and patients over the Care.data project, which was due to begin next month. Unless patients choose to opt out, confidential information about their illnesses, test results and medication would automatically be uploaded from their  GP file to a central database. Officials claim the information will be used by researchers to spot trends and identify poor care. But there are fears it will be passed on to firms providing health care insurance and life cover or be at risk from hackers. This week the British Medical Association and the Royal College of GPs voiced concerns that the public had been kept in the dark. A number of GPs are so opposed they have opted out all the patients on their books – with one being told he could lose his job as a result. It also emerged that campaigners were preparing to take legal action against officials for not informing the public properly how they can opt out. NHS England said the project would be postponed until October while it runs an awareness campaign and tightens up checks on firms wanting data. But it stopped short of making it an opt-in scheme. Both the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) have both warned that patients are being kept in the dark about the plans. File picture . The RCGP is calling for much more publicity of the scheme, including national TV, radio and online adverts. File picture . Tim Kelsey, national director for patients and information, said: ‘NHS England exists for patients and we are determined to listen to what they tell us. ‘We have been told very clearly that patients need more time to learn about the benefits of sharing information and their right to object to their information being shared. ‘That is why we are extending the public awareness campaign by an extra six months.’ Phil Booth, of the campaign group MedConfidential, said: ‘Finally officials at NHS England have seen reason. To upload millions of patients’ confidential data without providing full and proper information or seeking consent would have been the largest breach of confidence in NHS history.’ Labour health spokesman Jamie Reed said: ‘This is another NHS shambles of this Government’s own making. Along with health professionals, we raised concerns about the security of the data to be shared. Patients need to be assured that their records will be genuinely anonymous and that they have had the opportunity to opt out.’ Tory MP David Davis, who has raised concerns about the scheme, welcomed the postponement, saying: ‘Both the design and implementation of this database have been very poorly thought through.’ Unless patients opt out by contacting their GP surgery, officials will assume they are happy for their data to be harvested. NHS England was meant to have delivered leaflets about the scheme to every household last month but many patients never received them. And two polls this week found that eight in ten GPs did not understand the project. Pressure group 38 Degrees plans to set up a website that would enable  public to log on and prevent their data being harvested, without having to see their GP. So far 155,000 of its members – including doctors, nurses and other health workers – have said they would opt out using the website. A family doctor says he is willing to lose his practice rather than hand over patient data for a new NHS database. Dr John Cormack has vowed to opt all of his 4,000 patients out of the new care.data scheme . The GP believes confidentiality is the 'cornerstone of general practice' and is refusing to allow private companies to pry into medical records. Dr Cormack today said: 'There have been threats that GPs will have their contracts taken away if they don’t do what they are told. 'I’m not worried about it, if you’re going to criticise the NHS you’ve got to be prepared to take a bit of flak. 'Confidentiality is the cornerstone of general practice. 'Patients need to know when they come and see a GP that we’re not going to be straight on the phone saying "Oh, you’ll never guess what I just heard from a patient". 'It’s part of the trust built up between patients and doctors. Without that, people are very guarded about what they tell their doctors, which would make diagnosis much more difficult.' Currently patients must provide written consent before their records can be handed over to anyone. But the new scheme will mean patients’ personal information could be given out without them even knowing. Dr Cormack added: 'I’m not saying I will never hand over my patients records, I’m just saying I won’t do it without their permission to do so. 'If this scheme is as wonderful as the NHS makes out then they just need to make their case to the public and the public. 'To assume people have consented when they don’t actually know about it is a complete farce.' In January, NHS England distributed leaflets explaining what the scheme was and how people can opt out. Every household in the country was meant to receive one of these leaflets. But a survey by the Medical Protection Society found 67 per cent of people claimed not to have seen one. This is not the first time Dr Cormack has stood up against the NHS. Last month, he changed his name by deed poll to Dr John Cormack The Family Doctor Who Works For The NHS For Free. The stunt was a protest against how badly his thinks his practice in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, is funded by the NHS.
NHS England announces hiatus over fears patients are in the dark .
Top clinical bodies have blasted the plans to share medical records .
NHS says it wants to improve 'understanding' of the scheme .
By . Sophie Borland . PUBLISHED: . 13:36 EST, 18 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 20:25 EST, 18 February 2014 . The controversial NHS scheme to share patient data has been put on hold. File picture . A controversial NHS project to harvest data from medical records has been delayed by six months in the face of opposition from doctors and patients. Officials announced last night that the scheme would be postponed until the autumn to ensure the public is first made aware what their details will be used for and how they can opt out. Tougher checks will also be made on firms wanting to access the data amid fears it will be used by insurers to raise premiums. The move comes after the Daily Mail repeatedly highlighted concerns among GPs and patients over the Care.data project, which was due to begin next month. Unless patients choose to opt out, confidential information about their illnesses, test results and medication would automatically be uploaded from their  GP file to a central database. Officials claim the information will be used by researchers to spot trends and identify poor care. But there are fears it will be passed on to firms providing health care insurance and life cover or be at risk from hackers. This week the British Medical Association and the Royal College of GPs voiced concerns that the public had been kept in the dark. A number of GPs are so opposed they have opted out all the patients on their books – with one being told he could lose his job as a result. It also emerged that campaigners were preparing to take legal action against officials for not informing the public properly how they can opt out. NHS England said the project would be postponed until October while it runs an awareness campaign and tightens up checks on firms wanting data. But it stopped short of making it an opt-in scheme. Both the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) have both warned that patients are being kept in the dark about the plans. File picture . The RCGP is calling for much more publicity of the scheme, including national TV, radio and online adverts. File picture . Tim Kelsey, national director for patients and information, said: ‘NHS England exists for patients and we are determined to listen to what they tell us. ‘We have been told very clearly that patients need more time to learn about the benefits of sharing information and their right to object to their information being shared. ‘That is why we are extending the public awareness campaign by an extra six months.’ Phil Booth, of the campaign group MedConfidential, said: ‘Finally officials at NHS England have seen reason. To upload millions of patients’ confidential data without providing full and proper information or seeking consent would have been the largest breach of confidence in NHS history.’ Labour health spokesman Jamie Reed said: ‘This is another NHS shambles of this Government’s own making. Along with health professionals, we raised concerns about the security of the data to be shared. Patients need to be assured that their records will be genuinely anonymous and that they have had the opportunity to opt out.’ Tory MP David Davis, who has raised concerns about the scheme, welcomed the postponement, saying: ‘Both the design and implementation of this database have been very poorly thought through.’ Unless patients opt out by contacting their GP surgery, officials will assume they are happy for their data to be harvested. NHS England was meant to have delivered leaflets about the scheme to every household last month but many patients never received them. And two polls this week found that eight in ten GPs did not understand the project. Pressure group 38 Degrees plans to set up a website that would enable  public to log on and prevent their data being harvested, without having to see their GP. So far 155,000 of its members – including doctors, nurses and other health workers – have said they would opt out using the website. A family doctor says he is willing to lose his practice rather than hand over patient data for a new NHS database. Dr John Cormack has vowed to opt all of his 4,000 patients out of the new care.data scheme . The GP believes confidentiality is the 'cornerstone of general practice' and is refusing to allow private companies to pry into medical records. Dr Cormack today said: 'There have been threats that GPs will have their contracts taken away if they don’t do what they are told. 'I’m not worried about it, if you’re going to criticise the NHS you’ve got to be prepared to take a bit of flak. 'Confidentiality is the cornerstone of general practice. 'Patients need to know when they come and see a GP that we’re not going to be straight on the phone saying "Oh, you’ll never guess what I just heard from a patient". 'It’s part of the trust built up between patients and doctors. Without that, people are very guarded about what they tell their doctors, which would make diagnosis much more difficult.' Currently patients must provide written consent before their records can be handed over to anyone. But the new scheme will mean patients’ personal information could be given out without them even knowing. Dr Cormack added: 'I’m not saying I will never hand over my patients records, I’m just saying I won’t do it without their permission to do so. 'If this scheme is as wonderful as the NHS makes out then they just need to make their case to the public and the public. 'To assume people have consented when they don’t actually know about it is a complete farce.' In January, NHS England distributed leaflets explaining what the scheme was and how people can opt out. Every household in the country was meant to receive one of these leaflets. But a survey by the Medical Protection Society found 67 per cent of people claimed not to have seen one. This is not the first time Dr Cormack has stood up against the NHS. Last month, he changed his name by deed poll to Dr John Cormack The Family Doctor Who Works For The NHS For Free. The stunt was a protest against how badly his thinks his practice in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, is funded by the NHS.
patients are being kept in the dark about the much more publicity of the scheme, including harvested. NHS England was meant to have private companies to pry into medical records. Dr