British docs feel national database may affect confidentiality |
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Thu, 30 Jun 2005 02:35
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LONDON: British doctors are apprehensive that the proposed creation of a national database for medical records may affect patient confidentiality. The proposed system, part of the 6.2 billion pound technology upgrade planned by the National Health Scheme, allows access into the system from any of the linked centers.
The doctors fear the system can compromise on confidentiality and privacy. Delegates at the Manchester conference of the British Medical Association are scheduled to discuss the issue in detail.
The BMA had recently carried out a survey in this regard and people who participated had indeed recognised the potential value of the system, but they are also worried about its security, especially the scope for misuse.
A member of BMA committee on IT implementation, Dr Richard Vautrey, said, doctors are dutybound to protect the confidentiality of patient information. "And many doctors remained concerned that we seem to be sleepwalking into a system where a significant amount of personal and medical information is held on a national database without either us or patients fully understanding the long-term implications."
He is concerned about people sharing their access controls or the chances of hacking into the system for commercial gain. He, however, acknowledged the benefits of the system.
The system proposes to link GPs and hospitals, enable patients to book hospital appointments online and create an electronic prescription system.
Dr Tony Calland, who heads the BMA's Welsh council, said the new health minister, Dr Brian Gibbons, understands the NHS better because of his background as a GP and hence could provide his inputs for a better design of the system.
In an unrelated development, the BMA has recommended that hospital-laundered scrubs should be the standard issue for all medical staff and not germ-bearing white coats.
It has said that white coats may be eliminated, but chairman James Johnson said it may be difficult to implement the proposal. "Staff would have to change every time they crossed over into a clinical area and then you would have to do the same for visitors."
The delegates at the conference also expressed their ire over the plan to increase the normal pension age from 60 to 65. They hinted that they will press for retaining the final salary pension scheme, rather than have one linked to career average earnings. The proposal allows a consultant finishing his or her career on pay of £126,400 to take home a pension of £63,000 a year, which is down from £86,400 a year at the moment. The plan also allows doctors to retire at 60, but their pension would be less.
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