GP data grab delayed indefinitely!
In May Just Treatment joined forces with the Doctors’ Association UK, the National Pensioners Convention, the Citizens, openDemocracy and David Davis MP to challenge the government’s dodgy plans to share NHS patient data with private companies without our proper consent. This coalition’s legal case was coordinated by our friends at Foxglove.
After 2 months of non-stop pressure, our collective campaign forced the government to back down!
After already delaying their plans once, they have now delayed the plans indefinitely. They say they won’t move forward until a number of criteria have been met relating to public awareness, data protection and the ability of patients to opt in and out of the scheme when they choose. These are all things our campaign has been calling for!
However, we can’t relax - we are still deeply concerned about the government plans and there are still some big questions they haven’t answered. The fight is not over yet. Here are some of the key things we are still concerned about:
Nearly half the country still don’t know that this is happening - and the government is currently refusing to commit to writing to every NHS patient about it
We’ve not yet been reassured that our privacy is going to be properly protected and our data will be kept safe
There have been no changes to rules around what kinds of companies will have access to the data
We also fear this move will take us further down the path of a private-sector dominated health service. We cannot allow our healthcare system to be reliant upon the likes of Google, Amazon, and Palantir.
We will continue working with our partner organisations to push for further reassurances and commitments on these crucial issues. In the meantime, don't forget you can still opt out of the scheme - click here to find out exactly how to do this.
These huge concessions from the government would not have happened without the campaigning efforts of thousands of supporters up and down the UK. This just goes to show that when enough of us come together, we can take on corporate interests and win. A huge thanks to everyone who has been a part of this victory!
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