NHS England is under fire from UK GPs over its handling of GP data privacy concerns. The Joint GP IT Committee demanded NHS England self-refer to the data watchdog after a tense meeting last Thursday.
Instead of going to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), NHS Digital said it will conduct an internal review through its data protection officer first. This move is standard procedure but hasn’t calmed doctors. They’re worried NHS England is “marking its own homework” on a serious issue.
The Joint GP IT Committee wants the British Medical Association (BMA) to be called as a witness if the ICO investigates. They’re also pushing for clear governance on AI uses of GP data and want any emergency data-sharing rules to have sunset clauses if doctors aren’t consulted. 
Pressure on NHS data rules is heating up as former PM Tony Blair and Tech Secretary Peter Kyle push for looser NHS data restrictions. At SXSW London this week, Blair called it “absurd” that NHS data isn’t routinely available for innovation.
Peter Kyle added:
“This government, this country, our state has the most extraordinarily powerful and rich data set, [more] than any other country in the world. Now, if we can use that data wisely and safely, then we can have the kinds of leaps and bounds forward for the scientific development for the commercialization of new techniques, new services, new medicines, and the understanding of humankind and social sciences that no other country in the world can do.”
The standoff signals a broader clash over how NHS data gets used — between medical professionals wary of privacy and policymakers eager to unlock data for tech and science breakthroughs.
