Under threat: patient confidentiality and NHS computing

Abstract

The bedrock of patient and doctor trust is under threat. Government moves to centralise patient records are putting the security of medical records at risk, which in turn is jeopardising patient confidentiality. This is being felt most among those with sensitive medical records such as substance users, young people and those with mental health problems. In a scathing article, Ross Anderson exposes the government's rush to create an unwieldy database at the expense of security. He reveals a deliberate avoidance to seek patient consent and uncovers a worrying exposure of our most intimate details to exploitation by commerce, police and criminals.