Avoiding (at least part of ) the database state

The NHS Spine is a enormous great database that our wonderful government would like to have you involved with.

A key part of the NHS CRS will be the gradual development of an electronic Summary Care Record.
This will be available to NHS staff involved in your care, anywhere in the country.
Once the NHS CRS is fully implemented, having each patient's Summary Care Record stored on the Spine will mean that wherever and whenever a patient
seeks care from the NHS in England, those treating them will have secure access
to summary information to assist with diagnosis and care. This should provide
safer, more joined up care.

But of course this is the NHS, and worse part of Government. So what you have here is hundreds of thousands of people with direct access to some of the most personal information about you. People who, angels that they are could possibly miuse that information. Or loose it, or... well you know the drill when it comes to Government databases.

Here is the Guardian's take from earlier this week.

Doctors' leaders are warning government ministers that the NHS is jeopardising its relationship of trust with patients by creating a vast database of personal medical records. GPs say they fear patients' rights are being overlooked, that "scaremongering" is being used to get people's agreement for the database, and that hackers could illegally access the central computer.

The NHS wants more than 50 million people in England to agree to the creation of an individual summary care record (SCR). The idea is to improve the quality and safety of treatment provided by hospital staff and out-of-hours doctors by giving them access to information usually only held by a patient's doctor.

It appears that the Medical Trade Union is concerned,

The British Medical Association is writing to Andy Burnham, the health secretary, to say that, while it supports the idea in principle, it has serious concerns.

"I think the rights of patients are not being respected," said Dr Grant Ingrams, chair of the association's information technology committee.

"It is about allowing patients to decide what information about them is used. This is information that belongs to them and may include embarrassing information."

Of course this whole great scheme is being introduced under the principle of implied consent. Or in other words, we will do what we want. We will not tell you about it, and that informatuion that we do let you know will not let you know how not to be involved.

"What do you mean you didn't know about it? You didn't complain at the time." is the message. It is all a bit Douglas Adams,

"But Mr Dent, the plans have been available in the local planning office for the last nine months."

"Oh yes, well as soon as I heard I went straight round to see them, yesterday afternoon. You hadn't exactly gone out of your way to call attention to them, had you? I mean, like actually telling anybody or anything."

"But the plans were on display ..."

"On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them."

"That's the display department."

"With a flashlight."

"Ah, well the lights had probably gone."

"So had the stairs."

"But look, you found the notice didn't you?"

"Yes," said Arthur, "yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard'."

Anyhow, The Big Opt Out are very concerened about this as they make clear,

The Department of Health is trying to roll out the Summary Care Record to millions of patients before the next election. Doctors’ leaders are alarmed. Patients are being misinformed, and opt-out is being made difficult. Doctors have noted that in the pilot areas, seven out of ten patients are unaware that an SCR was created for them. The patient information packs don’t contain an opt-out form; you’re supposed to phone the call centre for one. Over two hundred thousand people have downloaded this website’s opt-out letter; now the NHS says it wants doctors to ignore this and get everyone who wants to opt out to use this form instead (which GPs can’t order in bulk).

Go here on how to keep the State at bay.