Animal test firms given your NHS data

The Prime Minister will use a keynote speech to outline far closer “collaboration” between the health service and life science companies, giving them more freedom to run clinical trials inside hospitals.

He will say that the controversial industry has the potential to be a powerhouse of Britain’s 21st century economy, but that it is stifled by excessive regulation at present.

The move is likely to face a backlash from privacy campaigners who have consistently opposed private companies being given access to medical records.

The Left will see it as the latest attempt to increase private involvement in the NHS, with the potential to hand even greater power to drugs companies.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8933721/Animal-test-firms-given-your-NHS-data.html

Something odd about this. Doing so would contravene the Data Protection Act.

There is in the last few years quite a heavy influence in the Torygraph from religious-right groups, who would be suspicious of certain forms of medical research.

Yes, this would contravene the Data Protection Act, which is why I don't think it will happen.

And, knowing people who've been involved in medical research: there are, quite rightly, a lot of hoops that you have to go through, and a lot of ethics committee members that you have to convince, and a lot of rules you need to obey, before you are allowed to do any sort of study. And it's taken much more seriously than by people working in the government; you'd be in *big* trouble if you left someone's personal data on the train.