NHS data could be shared with private companies

The prime minister is to promise far closer collaboration between the health service and life science companies, including giving them more freedom to run clinical trials inside hospitals.

In a keynote speech on Monday he is expected to insist that the controversial industry can be a powerhouse of Britain’s economy if excessive regulation can be eased.

The reforms will encounter strong opposition from privacy campaigners who have consistently opposed wider access to medical records.

Labour is also likely to paint the changes as another step towards NHS privatisation by the back door.

With fears mounting that Britain could be on the verge of slipping back into recession, Mr Cameron is due to stress the potential benefits of greater integration between private companies and the NHS.

Patients could get faster access to cutting-edge treatments, the government could save money, and the economy could be boosted.

Ministers believe Britain is uniquely placed to become a world leader in life sciences because of the strength of scientific research at its top universities and the mass of expertise in the NHS.

The industry already employs more than 160,000 people in 4,500 companies, and has an annual turnover of £50bn.

It is not clear whether private firms would be charged for access to NHS records, but data would be expected to be anonymised.

Read more: Government to crackdown on hidden waiting lists

Concerns about privacy

Nick Pickles from Big Brother Watch told Channel 4 News that our personal information should remain our property.

“It’s not for anybody else to make decisions without our involvement about what happens to personal information.

“We should have the right to say ‘no my information cannot be used for this purpose’ however we should also be able to say ‘yes you can use certain elements with my consent’.”

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: “We will not allow David Cameron to throw away essential safeguards in his desperation to develop a credible industrial strategy.”

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: “The life sciences industry is of vital importance to the UK economy and we are committed to greater collaboration with the NHS to ensure that patients can get faster access to valuable innovative treatments.

“All necessary safeguards would be in place to ensure protection of patients details – the data will be anonymised and the process will be carefully and robustly regulated.

Further details of plans to drive innovation across the NHS will be disclosed in a report by NHS chief executive Sir David Nicholson.

In his speech in London, Mr Cameron will also outline plans for an “early access” scheme enabling cancer sufferers and other seriously ill patients to receive cutting-edge drugs up to a year before they are fully licensed.

More on the NHS

• 
  

  ‘Proof’ government plans to privatise NHS?

  21 November 2011

• 
  

  NHS nears ‘crisis point’ as job losses double

  20 November 2011

• 
  

  GPs may be banned from writing sick notes

  19 November 2011