Your Health Data Could Be Shared From 1 September

The government is proposing to share more data gathered from patients at GPs. This is called the General Practice Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR).

This GPDPR was originally going to start on 1 July but has now been postponed to 1 September 2021 to allow further consultation to take place. This scheme has not been widely advertised and no letters have been sent to patients informing them of this change.

You can opt out of this scheme if you do not wish your data to be shared. Note that your data will be shared from 1 September unless you opt out. If you opt out after that date all your data up to that point will be shared but no data after you opt out will be included.

The government says all data will be anonymised wherever possible and unless specific exemptions apply. The government also states that data will never be shared for marketing or insurance purposes.

You can find out more information on the NHS Digital website HERE.

You can also watch a simple video explaining GPDPR below but you should look at the NHS Digital website for more detailed information.