The Government has announced new plans to simplify the use of patient records for research by transferring some responsibilities from GPs.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting stated that NHS England will assume responsibility for data sharing where patients have consented to its use in research studies.
Speaking at the RCGP’s annual conference in Liverpool, Mr. Streeting highlighted that major research initiatives, such as the UK Biobank, Genomics England, and Our Future Health, stand to gain from this change.
In return, NHS England will ensure the security of patient data by enforcing stringent data protection and consent standards for these studies, Mr. Streeting assured GPs.
Where patient consent is given, authorised researchers will gain access to coded data on diagnoses, prescriptions, and referrals, but confidential notes from GPs will remain inaccessible. The data will be de-identified before sharing.
Mr. Streeting also mentioned that the Government is developing a 10-year plan to create a unified patient record, owned by the patient, accessible across both primary and secondary care settings throughout the health service.
Speaking about the Health Secretary’s comments, Professor Sir Rory Collins, Principal Investigator and Chief Executive of UK Biobank, said:
“This is a momentous step forward for UK Biobank that will transform the research potential of our database overnight. By adding de-identified primary care data, approved researchers will have an unprecedented toolbox to drive diagnostics and treatments for conditions such as diabetes, dementia and mental ill health, which are largely managed in primary care.”
