Important information about your health records

[DSM10000]

A friend staying with us was reading the Guardian on line today and reminded me of this.

Why your health secrets may no longer be safe with your GP | Society | The Observer

As it is likely to not be universally known I thought I would post the article here so you can all make your own informed choices.

 

[Dieselman]

Note the word "may"...


Daily Wail, here we come.

 

[NOMONEYBUTAMERC]

I assume that was "your mate Dave" that reads the Guardian then ?

 

[Dieselman]

I assume that was "your mate Dave" that reads the Guardian then ?

I read the post and was immediately concerned...that DSM allowed someone that was a Guardian reader stay.

 

[DSM10000]

I read the post and was immediately concerned...that DSM allowed someone that was a Guardian reader stay.

Will, I am with you all the way but he is a long term friend and I see his visits as a chance to offer him support and counselling

 

[martyz]

Another sneaky way to get ID on the UK population,I suppose our doctors will be asking for DNA samples next for medical research.

 

[Dieselman]

Another sneaky way to get ID on the UK population,I suppose our doctors will be asking for DNA samples next for medical research.

I'm not too bothered as long as He doesn't want to give me a DNA sample.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Will, I am with you all the way but he is a long term friend and I see his visits as a chance to offer him support and counselling

with a horsewhip I trust?

 

[DSM10000]

with a horsewhip I trust?

He is a guest but that is no reason to pander to all of his whims!

 

[peter49]

Pure wilful scaremongering.

 

[DSM10000]

Pure wilful scaremongering.

Care to elaborate?

 

[peter49]

Care to elaborate?

I have nothing but admiration for our NHS and the bulk of those employed in helping to keep us healthy.
I have enjoyed the past 60 odd years of life thanks to efforts of the NHS when I was diagnosed with a life threatening condition as a child.
My wife and our unborn twins almost died when critical information "went missing" from her file. This could not have happened if records had been computerised at that time.
How useful it would be if an unconscious patient arrived in A&E if that person's medical records were available to the medics on a centralised data base.
Journalists have a job to do though they so often seek out negativity without a single word of the positives.
I have no concerns whatsoever for my medical records to be made available to those who may once more be in a position to save my life or those of my family. As for others who "may" be able to identify me from these records, so what?

 

[DSM10000]

I have nothing but admiration for our NHS and the bulk of those employed in helping to keep us healthy.
I have enjoyed the past 60 odd years of life thanks to efforts of the NHS when I was diagnosed with a life threatening condition as a child.
My wife and our unborn twins almost died when critical information "went missing" from her file. This could not have happened if records had been computerised at that time.
How useful it would be if an unconscious patient arrived in A&E if that person's medical records were available to the medics on a centralised data base.
Journalists have a job to do though they so often seek out negativity without a single word of the positives.
I have no concerns whatsoever for my medical records to be made available to those who may once more be in a position to save my life or those of my family. As for others who "may" be able to identify me from these records, so what?

With respect you seem to have either not read the article or have misunderstood it or my point in posting it

No one is saying that centrally held health records available in a timely fashion in case of emergency is not a good thing, the fact that the IT program to achieve this is chaotic and behind schedule is secondary.

The article clearly states that we, as patients, are deemed to opt in (unless we say otherwise) to data held on us being made available to commercial organisations outside the NHS.

You may think this is worthwhile or you may not. I hope you note that I offered no opinion either way but just put the information to the forum as, in my experience the members here are generally intelligent and rational adults that can make their own informed decisions.

I am happy that your experiences of the NHS for you and your family have been good ones, I have spent over 25 years working within it and working for the outcomes you describe,

 

[grober]

The 2 groups most likely to buy into this Database will be Big Pharma and Insurance Companies neither of which are renowned for their benevolent attitude to their fellow man.

 

[swannymere]

I read the post and was immediately concerned...that DSM allowed someone that was a Guardian reader stay.

I'd rather a Guardian reader stay than a Daily Mail, i'd imagine with the DMR waking up to find my house turned into a bunker with the aforementioned DMR rocking backwards and forwards holding a pitchfork and mumbling 'foreigners, they don't like it up 'em'.

 

[ItalianTuneUp]

The old left/right game divides so many people. Divide and rule, isms for your schisms...etc

 

[peter49]

With respect you seem to have either not read the article or have misunderstood it or my point in posting it

No one is saying that centrally held health records available in a timely fashion in case of emergency is not a good thing, the fact that the IT program to achieve this is chaotic and behind schedule is secondary.

The article clearly states that we, as patients, are deemed to opt in (unless we say otherwise) to data held on us being made available to commercial organisations outside the NHS.

You may think this is worthwhile or you may not. I hope you note that I offered no opinion either way but just put the information to the forum as, in my experience the members here are generally intelligent and rational adults that can make their own informed decisions.

I am happy that your experiences of the NHS for you and your family have been good ones, I have spent over 25 years working within it and working for the outcomes you describe,

If you re-read the final sentence of my post, you should understand my view.

 

[DSM10000]

If you re-read the final sentence of my post, you should understand my view.

I do not need to re-read your post. Your comments were out of context, as stated I posted so that people could make informed choices, I was not looking for a debate or to canvass views.

 

[peter49]

I do not need to re-read your post. Your comments were out of context, as stated I posted so that people could make informed choices, I was not looking for a debate or to canvass views.

Why then, did you ask me to elaborate on my initial response if not to generate debate?

 

[DSM10000]

Because you posted an out of context comment and I was curious as to what you were trying to say.

As stated, we can all make informed choices but only when we have the information to make that choice.

It is the nature of a forum for comments / posts to generate off axis debates but this was not the intent here.