NHS Data Sharing Trial Begins Amid Concerns

A NHS scheme which aims to share health and social care data begins in Southend today amid concerns from some campaigners over patients' privacy.

The trial scheme aims to link patients' health and social care records, with the NHS saying it will allow health workers to develop a single package of care for people with multiple needs.

Participation in the scheme is not compulsory, and those who do not want their data shared can choose to opt out. Patients' names will not be recorded as part of the data sharing.

But critics of the trial say it is a cost-cutting measure which could threaten patients' treatment. There are also fears over how the data could be used by third parties.

Health campaigner Jos Bell told Sky News: "I have no objection to saving money if it's in the patient's best interest.

"But this approach is not about improving patient care, or even making patient care stable. Patients are going to be seriously at risk by this approach.

"This is about rationing, and rationing is not good for patients. Patients require what is appropriate for their condition.

"What a patient doesn't want is somebody digging around in their data and then actually coming to a decision that they are ... too expensive."

Dr Hamed Khan, a GP and clinical lecturer, said doctors already examine patients' records to identify the best way to coordinate their treatment.

"I think what this scheme goes through is, to some extent, what we have always been doing with our complicated patients," he said.

"We identify what resources they are using and we try to find ways to use those resources more efficiently, not just to save money - that's a secondary thing - but to provide better patient care."

A NHS England spokesperson said: "This local scheme will significantly improve services for a small number of people with multiple health and care needs and help them stay independent for longer by giving them doctors, nurses and social care professionals involved in their care access to the information they need."