GP practices in the north of England have been told to warn patients that information from their GP record will be extracted in two months time.
NHS England have written to GP practices in the north of England instructing them to start making patients aware that patient identifiable information will be extracted from their record through GPES and made available in identifiable and de-identified form to commissioners, researchers and third parties such as private companies.
The practices have been provided with guidance on the extracts and posters and leaflets to put up in the practice to inform patients of the changes, including their right to opt out of having their data extracted. NHS England said practices in other areas will be contacted in successive weeks.
Once NHS England have written to practices they will have eight weeks to raise awareness among patients before the data is physically extracted, though an NHS England spokesperson said that they may allow longer for the first extractions to ensure patients are aware the extractions are happening.
The news comes after the ICO announced that practices who fail to take reasonable steps to make patients aware of the changes could leave themselves open to legal action under the Data Protection Act.
GPs running the EMIS national user group have also created an alternative poster and leaflet to the one officially disseminated by NHS England, in conjunction with the BMA and RCGP, as they complained the official resources would not explain the changes clearly enough to patients.
A spokesperson for NHS England said: ‘We have started sending out information to GP practices, which includes guidance, materials and resources such as posters and leaflets to be used in GP practices. These are being sent to GP practices in the North of England this week, with the other three regions following in successive weeks.
‘We are advising GP practices to supplement these materials with further awareness raising activity such as notices on their websites and through regular communications including patient participation groups. Further regional and national awareness-raising activity is planned. We are aiming for these extractions to begin in the autumn.’
