Why your health secrets may no longer be safe with your GP
What's wrong with this? How long have you got? In the first place, there is the fact that the category of "approved researchers" doesn't just include university researchers, doctors and NHS planners. The data will also be sold to corporate researchers working for insurance, pharmaceutical and other firms.

Then there is the question of data security. If we have learned anything from the Bradley/Chelsea Manning affair, it is that large centralised databases to which many people have access are intrinsically insecure. One day, there will be a breach of this NHS repository, after which there will be the usual hand-wringing ministerial statement assuring us that the stable door is now well and truly shut.

Opt Out
Head over to medconfidential.org, download a form, fill it in and drop it in to your GP. And if you have kids, do one for each of them too, because when they grow up they may not thank you for compromising their privacy. For more details on this and to read the full report please visit: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jan/26/health-secrets-not-safe-with-gp