General Practice Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR) UPDATE
We have received lots of opt-out forms from our patients regarding the NHS GPDPR data extractions. Whilst we posted some information on our website on the 8th of June after the deadline date for extraction was pushed back to the 1st of September, we held off sending out further information as the actual available guidance for us within Primary Care was very limited.
Things have now changed and Jo Churchill, Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Primary Care and Health Promotion, has written to us with further information. A copy of this letter can be found here.
The important news for patients wishing to understand this fully, is that the date for data extraction has been cancelled. Instead NHS Digital will work to address many of the concerns of patients and GPs, and only once certain criteria have been met will they start the collection of data.
The criteria are:
- the ability to delete data if patients choose to opt-out of sharing their GP data with NHS Digital, even if this is after their data has been uploaded;
- the backlog of opt-outs has been fully cleared;
- a Trusted Research Environment has been developed and implemented in NHS Digital;
- patients have been made more aware of the scheme through a campaign of engagement and communication.
NHS Digital also commits to making opt-outs much simpler. They plan to introduce three changes to the opt-out system which mean that patients will be able to change their opt-out status at any time:
- Patients do not need to register a Type 1 opt-out by 1st September to ensure their GP data will not be uploaded;
- NHS Digital will create the technical means to allow GP data that has previously been uploaded to the system via the GPDPR collection to be deleted when someone registers a Type 1 opt-out;
- The plan to retire Type 1 opt-outs will be deferred for at least 12 months while we get the new arrangements up and running, and will not be implemented without consultation with the RCGP, the BMA and the National Data Guardian.
We encourage you to read all the information that is available on this before you make a decision to opt-out. Further information can be found below:
Opt-out forms
If you wish to opt-out, the form can be found here.