God, the next 'Compare the Meekat' advert is going to be a bit challenging

I'm waiting for the inevitable phone calls asking to speak to me about my asthma and how sinking a few grand may help clear it up.

Also the phishing calls where they want to speak to you "about your medical condition".

I'm going to be referring my parents to the info here with a clear "pass it on" instruction.

Yup saw that and it reminded me to print out the leaflet. Spent lunch time making 50 copies and folding them. Now if only I could remember to give them out!

Useful. Thanks.

Spent my (limited) lunchtime printing off 200 leaflets, printing them double sided and then folding them and sticking them in waiting areas. God, I wish I had reliable receptionists I could have used!

I have been giving them out to friends and family.

I commend you for doing this, and if you hadn't have started this thread I dare say a lot of us here wouldn't have known about the extent of these plans.

I'm curious why, if a lot of doctors are against these plans foisted upon them, why more practices aren't vocal about letting their patients know the truth. Is it because they have to toe the government line or are there non-disclosure agreements in place to stop bad press?

I haven't heard anything from my GP practice to explain this, only had the PR- marketing bollox leaflet which doesn't say much at all.

Long and short: we can be sued by care.data for not uploading the data as required by the health and social care act; we can also be sued by patients for uploading without their consent.

In fact, it was my old boss who kicked up a fuss when he pointed out the above at a meeting and argued it was inappropriate for all GPs to inform all their patients because: most GPs don't want to do this, it's difficult to ensure information reaches every patient, and it costs the practice time and money to do. He stated it would be easier to defend against care.data than against patients. That's why there's been a Govt campaign with leaflets. That way it's the Govt's job and the Govt's fault if there's a problem. The problem is the Govt wants to masquerade it as "helping research". I'd be cool with that if all that was uploaded were say diagnoses and medications.

No non-disclosure agreements or anything like that.

Another issue is that a while back, there was a Summary Care Records thing which meant your clinical details could be uploaded for other healthcare professionals to use eg you're in A&E, unconscious but ID on your person identifies you as Joe Bloggs at 742 Evergreen Terrace. Clinician can see if there any details on the computer system eg known diabetic on insulin. The problem is that people have confused care.data with SCR and believe it's the same thing and think they have already opted out.

If I had the money, I'd run an advertising campaign in every possible media - TV adverts, newspaper and magazine adverts, internet adverts etc.

Funny how the Govt has given GPs something like 3 months' notice only.

Yes but genuine research is usually opt in, not opt out. The fact that this information could go to anyone does make me question its necessity. If it were all available for sale then there is absolutely nothing to stop the NSA buying it all.

Except the fact they probably already have it...

I think that the NSA will buy it rather than hack in everywhere though this could be our government covering its own arse for already selling it to the NSA?

Oh you are [LIFTED] kidding me.