NHS reforms create threat to patient confidentiality

The government’s planned reforms for the NHS will create a threat to patient confidentiality and could damage the doctor-patient relationship, it has been claimed.

The BMA has written to health minister Simon Burns to highlight serious concerns it has about flaws in the government’s Health and Social Care Bill, which is currently being scrutinised by MPs before its next stage towards becoming law later this year.

The letter outlines the BMA’s worries about certain wording in the bill dealing with the sharing of information.

As part of the NHS reforms, the bill proposes that a number of people/bodies—including the health secretary, the newly formed NHS Commissioning Board, and the NHS Information Centre—should be …