Children’s medical records will be automatically uploaded to the controversial new ‘Big Brother’ NHS database – but parents have not been told.
The records of some ten million youngsters in England will be taken from GP surgery computers this spring to be part of the care.data project.
Leaflets about the scheme contain no mention that children’s records will be ‘extracted’. It is only revealed in NHS guides for patients and GPs on the internet.
Data: The records of ten million youngsters in England will be taken from GP surgery computers this spring to be part of the care.data project, despite there being no mention of children’s data in information leaflets
Last night MPs and doctors said it was ‘highly irresponsible’ not to specify that children’s information would be uploaded.
Former Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: ‘To do this to children’s data is a very serious abuse of the rights of the child and their parents.
‘The first duty for protecting children is down to the parent, not the State.’
NHS bosses say the scheme will help them to plan better care. But Stephen Dorrell, MP, who chairs the Commons Health Select Committee, admitted: ‘It probably should say in respect of minors that their data will be used unless they opt out. There needs to be clarity.’
Database: Private medical records will be held on a central computer system by NHS England. Officials insist the move is to spot trends in poor care and improve aspects of treatment like hospital waiting times
Dr Neil Bhatia, a GP who has been pushing more transparency about the project, said: ‘They are being economical with the truth to the extreme.
‘They are trying to get away with providing as little information as they can, so people won’t opt out.’
He said covertly grabbing children’s medical records would ‘undermine trust in the medical profession’.
A spokesman for NHS England claimed: ‘The leaflet is explicit in that it covers everyone in the household and there is information on the website NHS Choices for parents in the patient FAQs.’
