NPfIT receives Big Brother award for privacy fears

Issues with the NHS CRS that Privacy International felt had not been addressed include an apparent lack of flexibility for patients to opt in and out and general unawareness among the public of the new system. The panel of judges felt that NPfIT was by far the most deserving of the award and its win was predicted as early as the shortlist stage. 

The award (right) takes the shape of a boot stamping on a face: a reference to George Orwell’s novel 1984.

Simon Davies, Director of Privacy International, told E-Health Insider that the main problem with the NHS Care Records Service (CRS) was that it is “a vast centralised system that puts the power into the hands of the NHS. It provides the opportunity for authority to cherry-pick valuable data. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2001, the Secretary of State has control of all data. The minister is going to have a huge amount of discretion."

However, a spokesperson for the NPfIT told EHI that privacy and security concerns were, in fact, being addressed: "The National Programme for IT will be implemented incrementally and patients will be fully informed of its purpose and their rights in advance of patient information being used.

"The privacy of patients and the interests of those providing care will be protected by the Data Protection Act 1998, the Human Rights Act 1998 and the common law duty of confidence, particularly as embodied in Caldicott standards and professional ethics.

“Access to patient information will be subject to strict security and access controls and an audit trail will confirm the identity, timing and location of all access to patient records."

The award ceremony, which was presented by comedian and campaigner Mark Thomas, also targeted The Office of National Statistics, who received the “Most Heinous Government Organisation Award" for developing the Citizen Information Project, and Margaret Hodge, Minister of State for Children, who was dubbed “Worst Public Servant” for the tracking provisions in the Children Bill and intending to develop “intrusive databases and information systems."

The NHS won a Big Brother award in 2000 for its initial plans to computerise patient records. Davies stated that “nothing has changed" since then.

Formed in 1990, Privacy International is an NGO with offices in London and Washington DC. It consists of academics, lawyers, journalists and human rights workers, and works to raise the profile of privacy and human rights issues. The Big Brother awards occur annually in 17 countries.