GPs fear breach of secret patient data
DOCTORS say health officials are risking a breach in thousands of patients' medical records through a new system being pioneered in Stoke-on-Trent.
The data is currently available only to people's own GP practice. But from May authorised medics and nurses across the country will be allowed to view the information.
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Surgeries at Norton, Burslem and Hartshill have agreed to trial the scheme, which is designed to improve patient safety. The city's primary care trust then wants to roll it out to the rest of the city.
The initiative is aimed at making sure staff at hospital accident units nationwide can have access to patients' information before treating them.
But the leader of North Staffordshire's 250 GPs fears that after several high-profile breaches of Government data in the past year, there would be nothing to stop the patient records meeting the same fate.
Now Dr Paul Golik, secretary of the Local Medical Committee (LMC), said: "We were given a presentation on this and the LMC reluctantly accepted reassurances that there was enough security to prevent a breach. But I remain unconvinced and am unhappy that someone, say with HIV, could find that being out in the open.
"If a teenager can hack into the White House computer, there would seem little to stop some nosy parker overcoming the security and getting access to all sorts of sensitive information about our patients. I don't accept the need for this scheme in the first place. If someone collapses, they are treated as normal by paramedics and hospital staff for the emergency, and after that there would seem nothing that cannot wait until their surgery opens the next morning."
The system, called Summary Care Records, is being pioneered at the Apsley House surgeries in Burslem and Norton, and at Dr Woodcock & Partners in Hartshill. Information will be stored on an NHS network and only staff with a smartcard, PIN and a legitimate reason for accessing it can enter.
NHS Stoke-on-Trent chief executive Graham Urwin said: "This is all about improving the safety and quality of patient care, and means NHS staff will have faster access to reliable information about patients."
Dr Andrew Dent, of the Hartshill practice, has said if patients are unconscious or confused, data staff may need might not be immediately available to them.
The scheme has already sparked a row over claims that patients who want to opt out of the scheme must visit the surgery and refuse to take part. But a PCT spokesman said: "We considered it more secure to ask patients to come in to the surgery to complete the (opt out) form as this would give reception staff the opportunity to confirm their identity, either formally or informally. Patients are not required to discuss their reasons with the GP reception staff or any PCT official. The form is on the PCT website if patients wish to complete it prior to visiting the practice."
3 Comments
by Marion, Stoke
Monday, March 16 2009, 3:59PM
“I resent the fact that there is so much of our information available to be viewed by all and sundry in the NHS. Unfortunately for me when I visited the hospital on a private matter the girl on the desk lived in my street. She gained access to my files and advised others "confidentially" in the street of the reason for my visit. Its disgraceful and needs sorting out!”
by anon, stoke-on-trent
Monday, March 16 2009, 10:17AM
“You can't assume your records are correct, my mothers weren't at the hospital. I know of PCT employees that have repeated patients problems. I worked were a man was discussed, for mental health problems, by the husband of an employee of the hospital dept.”
by WM, Stoke
Monday, March 16 2009, 9:58AM
“The problem is that no matter how much we know people, they can't be trusted 100%.
This is anecdotal information, I realise, but I'm aware of an NHS employee, who many years ago did a name search on somebody after mail was wrongly delivered, and they not only found the correct address for redelivery, but stumbled across the reason for their last visit to the hospital.
Disgraceful behaviour, but it raises the question: Do you want your medical data - which is currently accessible to a limited number of people in your local area - available to a much greater number of potentially untrustworthy people across the country?
This is exactly the kind of data that could have a large financial value if somebody hires a PI to dig dirt on you. The PI simply needs a contact in the NHS with that smartcard, PIN, and the "legitimate reason" that will no doubt NOT be verified by a human being in every case given the number of NHS staff accessing the system.
Stoke PCTs cooercive opt-out method is only to be expected from a Trust that has such disdain for the citizens of this city. Many of our surgeries still won't see patients within 48 hours you know, which is against government targets, and the PCT wilfully let that situation continue despite a multitude of complaints over the past few years.”