back to article UK.gov slammed for NHS data-sharing deal with Home Office

The UK health service's NHS Digital has been accused of operating to a "lower standard of confidentiality" than rest of NHS, in a heated hearing about a deal that requires patient info to be handed over for immigration enforcement. The agreement means that patient record-keeper NHS Digital can be required to hand over non- …

  1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

    “[The data guardian, Fiona Caldicott] has concerns that the public interest criteria which are applied by doctors with GMC code or NHS staff using the Department of Health code, are not reflected in the MoU,”

    Surely if she doesn't have a veto the word "guardian" is inappropriate.

    1. Gordon 10

      Definately not the Data Guardians of the Galaxy

      I'd never heard of these "Guardians" before so a short googling gives this

      https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/national-data-guardian/about

      TLDR - whilst they *might* be on the side of angels on most things they have no Veto, and it wouldn't take much to distort their charter imo, and they are NHS Only. So Im thinking Quango to re-assure the peasants.

      From the Site

      Priorities

      The NDG wants to build trust in the use of data across health and social care and is guided by these 3 main principles:

      •encouraging clinicians and other members of care teams to share information to enable joined-up care, better diagnosis and treatment

      •ensuring there are no surprises to the citizen about how their health and care data is being used and that they are given a choice about this

      •building a dialogue with the public about how we all wish information to be used, to include a range of voices including commercial companies providing drugs and services to the NHS, researchers discovering new connections that transform treatments, and those managing the services

      1. Disgusted of Cheltenham

        Re: Definitely not the Data Guardians of the Galaxy

        Explicitly just 'no surprises for the citizen'. Not sure how anyone could be both a citizen and an illegal immigrant.

        And then 'choice' includes Hobson's choice.

    2. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Clearly I wasn't thinking properly when i wrote that comment. It's Yes, Minister series 1 programme 1: "Getting rid of the difficult bit in the title".

  2. James 51
    Devil

    Lord James O’Shaughnessy, parliamentary under secretary of state for health, denied this, and stressed that this data “has been shared for decades”, with the MoU formalising the process.

    This doesn't make it right, it just means you've gotten away with it for far too long but now it has put the idea that it will drive people away from the NHS in their heads, they'll push harder for it than ever.

  3. Adrian Midgley 1

    shared for decades

    "Lord James O’Shaughnessy, parliamentary under secretary of state for health, denied this, and stressed that this data “has been shared for decades”, with the MoU formalising the process."

    If this is true, which I doubt, it has been unacceptable for decades.

  4. Adair Silver badge

    Historic precedent ...

    and common sense about human behaviour tells us that regardless of what is said or written those in positions of power will always find ways to access and use information that is useful to their purposes.

    Any data about you will be used in evidence against you (or used regardless of your permission) if it suits the powerful to do so, and they think they can get away with it.

    The only question is, how willing are other powers to enact and uphold the spirit of laws intended to limit the overweening powers of 'the state' (and any other entities)?

  5. Adam 52 Silver badge

    "said ..., a GP ... "

    If the GPs didn't put the data in in the first place then the NHS wouldn't have it to share.

    Whose responsibility is ensuring informed consent at the point of collection again?

  6. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Gimp

    Blame Avoidance Strategy #2.* Get someone else to do your work for you.

    So what do we have here.

    1)The Home Office has failed to do its job on immigration control for decades, including the more than 50% of the total from outside the EU, which the UK government had (and still has) total control over.

    2) Non existent respect for personal privacy

    Once again the hard task of sorting their own s**t out is replaced by cajoling/brow beating someone else into doing it for them.

    *Blame Avoidance Strategy #1 is of course "Blame the EU for the requirement/inability to have to do/not do this thing." Delete as appropriate.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    MoU would dissuade people from accessing healthcare

    I'm not being cynical to suggest this was a part of a grand plan (stop illegals accessing "our" healthcare), cause all them bloody foreigners take our jobs and healthcare (hell, they take our nurses too!). So, it would be great if we could somehow make them work for peanuts and die quietly, rather than take up precious hospital corridor space. Nosir, only the most cynical ones would think that our politicians (hell, ANY politicians!) are past such ideas...

  8. Wolfclaw

    What's the problem, if you in the UK legally, then the NHS allowing immigration to see, stuff like DOB, address etc is fine, while your getting treatment. Hiding the shadows, you have the choice, accept your medical issue, leave the country or become legit !

  9. Jove Bronze badge

    A non-story; no problem with NHS being required to supply data allowing Government Agencies to enforce UK Laws.

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