Health professionals asked for views on patient data

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Healthcare professionals and members of the public are being asked to share the views on how patient information should be shared for research purposes and managing care.

Interested parties have 12 weeks to register their views on the consultation, which is being launched by Connecting for Health, which oversees the NHS IT programme.

The consultation will ask for views on who should have access to patient data, what additional or secondary uses data should be used for and processes governing identification of patients.

Research topics data could be used for include prevention and treatment of diseases, improving public health, managing and planning future health services, health planning screening and quality control.

Professor Michael Thick, chief clinical officer for NHS Connecting for Health, said: 'Patients, as well as clinicians, must be involved in these crucial decisions about using clinical patient data.'