26/07/2021 Important update: General Practice Data for Planning and Research Programme (GPDPR) deferred
26/07/2021 Important update: General Practice Data for Planning and Research Programme (GPDPR) deferred
NHS Digital and the Government announced last week that they have agreed to delay the introduction of the new General Practice Data Programme (GPDPR). Patient data used for life-saving research will benefit from even greater protection and assurances owing to tougher safeguards that will be put in place ahead of the GPDPR rollout.
While NHS Digital will continue to develop the infrastructure and engagement for the programme, they are not setting a specific start date for the collection of data. This means that the 1 September date no longer stands.
Data collection will now only begin when the following criteria have been met:
The ability for patients to opt out or back in to sharing their GP data with NHS Digital, with data being deleted even if it has been uploaded, and outstanding opt outs being processed.
A Trusted Research Environment is available where approved researchers can work securely on de-identified patient data which does not leave the environment, offering further protections and privacy while enabling collaboration amongst trusted researchers to further benefit patients.
A campaign of engagement and communication has increased public awareness of the programme, explaining how data is used and patient choices
Practices can be assured data collection will only begin once NHS Digital’s Trusted Research Environment (TRE) has been fully developed, in line with best practice, and to the satisfaction of the General Practitioners’ Committee (GPC), Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the National Data Guardian. This is so both GPs and the public can have a high degree of confidence that their data will be safe, and their privacy protected. Work continues with colleagues across general practice to explore a way of centralising the GP data Type 1 opt-out process to remove this burden on GPs and make it easier for patients to exercise this choice.
Read the joint statement from the GPC and the RCGP here – https://www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/latest-statement-on-gp-data-for-planning-and-research . Devon LMC can confirm that no further action is required by practices at this stage.
