According to the Health Service Journal, “NHS England is closing the much criticised care.data programme”.

(Update: A written ministerial statement has now appeared on Parliament’s site)

Responding to the news, Phil Booth, Coordinator of medConfidential said:

Responding to the news, Phil Booth, Coordinator of medConfidential said:

“One toxic brand may have ended, but Government policy continues to be the widest sharing of every patient’s most private data.

“Launched this morning, the Government’s consultation on consent asks the public to comment on how Government should go about ignoring the opt outs that patients requested.

“The programme did exist, and whatever data the Government may wish to continue to sell to their commercial friends, patients dissented from data about them being shared. Their wishes must be honoured.

Notes to editors

q15 of the Consultation on New data security standards for health and social care puts the onus on consultation respondents to work out how Government could implement the policy they wish to follow, irrespective of the consultation: