Would You Trust This Lot With Your Medical Records?

[237SJ]

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/aug/10/police-right-to-see-medical-records

[Sqad]

woofy......P.S I am not a TAD arrogant.........I am WHOLLY arrogant.

[woofgang]

They aren't all arrogant. I have met about 5 who weren't but none of them were surgeons!!

[woofgang]

PS and when a GP is arrogant, consultants, even consultant surgeons are totally blown out of the water!

[Sqad]

That is fantastic..........no non arrogant surgeons.

[boxtops]

Medical records don't contain anything typed these days, sqad - as soon as a consultant's report comes in - or indeed, anything else - it's scanned onto the patient's personal record on the surgery computer :-)

[Sqad]

boxy........I should have known..........;-)

[Khandro]

Could it be that the real reason they want access is to see if there is a history of drug abuse?

[New Judge]

"There would be protocols in place to ensure that the data was being stored and used appropriately (covered by the Data Protection Act). "

Do not sleep so soundly, sp. The first of the eight principles of the Data Protection Act (which is the principle which deals with the holding and processing of individuals' data) does not apply. From Schedule 1, Part 1 "The Principles":-:

Crime and taxation.

(1)Personal data processed for any of the following purposes—

(a)the prevention or detection of crime,

(b)the apprehension or prosecution of offenders, or

(c)the assessment or collection of any tax or duty or of any imposition of a similar nature,

are exempt from the first data protection principle (except to the extent to which it requires compliance with the conditions in Schedules 2 and 3) and section 7 in any case to the extent to which the application of those provisions to the data would be likely to prejudice any of the matters mentioned in this subsection.

The police will not trouble themselves with such a tiresome matter as the protections the DPA is supposed to provide. Any enquiries they make will be associated with "the prevention and detection of crime". I have nothing to hide but do not want my medical records shared or made available to anybody. I have opted out of the various (and usually abandoned) schemes to share my information. Time will tell whether my options have been ignored. My money is on the fact that they have.

[237SJ]

Well I certainly don`t want the police to have unfeffered access to my records. They are not medically qualified and as far as I`m concerned, are not in a position to judge whether my behaviour on the day is to do with a medical condition or some other cause. It could even prejudice their treatment of me. The head of the BMA doesn`t sound too keen on the idea either. I don`t think it will happen.

[New Judge]

"The head of the BMA doesn`t sound too keen on the idea either.""

The BMA were opposed to the establishment of the National Health Service, 237 !!!!!

[Zacs-Master]

Not quite correct NJ. The BMA supported the principle but objected to health minister Aneurin Bevan’s initial plan to impose the new system on doctors.

[naomi24]

I'm really quite torn on this one. I can see the benefits of the police having access to a potentially mistreated child's medical records, but I'm very wary of all medical records being available to various authorities. I've opted out of the new scheme.