Understanding Your NHS Health Data: Access, Sharing, and AI

This episode discusses NHS patient health records, focusing on your rights to access and privacy and how data is shared for care, research, and legal needs. We explore the NHS's shift towards electronic and "single patient records" via the NHS App. Learn about public perceptions, cybersecurity, and AI's role in managing health data. Understand how your information is used and protected within the UK health system.

Key Takeaways:

• Patient rights: Access and confidentiality of records, with legal exceptions.
• Data sharing: Essential for direct care, but patients can object unless public interest overrides.
• Digital transformation: NHS aiming for a "single patient record" via NHS App by 2028.
• Public concerns: Privacy fears, especially regarding private company involvement in NHS data.
• Cybersecurity threat: NHS is a target; government is improving cyber resilience.
• AI in healthcare: Trialed for record analysis, transcription, and predictions; ethical issues noted.

Important Definitions and Concepts:

• Data Controller: The organisation (e.g., GP, hospital) that holds your health records and manages access.
• Single Patient Record: NHS plan for a single electronic health summary via NHS App from 2028 to improve care.
• National Data Opt-Out: Service allowing you to opt out of identifiable data sharing for research/planning.

Discussion and Reflection Question: Given electronic records and AI in healthcare, what are the most crucial steps the NHS should take for patient trust in data privacy and security?

Source: Patient health records: Access, sharing and confidentiality
Research Briefing
Published Monday, 28 July, 2025

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No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.

Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0....