[Gllug] Re: [OT] NHS abusing security of our medical records

[Mark Preston]

Richard Jones wrote:
>/ On Thu, Nov 02, 2006 at 11:40:33AM +0000, Donald Williams wrote:
/>>/ I think an issue persistently raised by the "Guardian" is worth the
/>>/ consideration/support of you guys - see, if you will:
/>>/ 
/>>/ http://society.guardian.co.uk/health
/>/ 
/>/ This page has some sort of weird DHTML pop-up which made me
/>/ reflexively reach for the Close button.  Do you have a link to the
/>/ story?
/
>I had to search for quite a while to find out that probably this one is 
>meant:
>http://society.guardian.co.uk/health/news/0,,1936403,00.html

>Regards,
>Gunde

Hi all,

There are a number of other concerning articles that have appeared 
recently in the Grauniad  which relate to this thread.

E.g.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1936254,00.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1937011,00.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/story/0,,1936471,00.html

Whilst the possibility of a GLLUG member being falsely labelled an 
alcoholic is obviously remote, I think members might be interested in 
the more worrying computer related points that are suggested by Ross 
Anderson, professor of security engineering at Cambridge University, as 
reasons for not wanting your medical records data on the NHS "spine".

*1.* No 'sealed envelopes' yet exist to limit access

*2.* No online patient system yet exists to correct errors

*3.* Data uploaded may include genetic, psychological or sexual information

*4.* It is intended to make my data available to social workers, 
researchers and commercial firms

*5.* My consent will not be asked before beginning processing

*6.* Adequate criminal penalties against abuse do not yet exist

*7.* Police and other agencies can gain access to a potentially 
unlimited range of information about me. There is abundant evidence that 
computer databases - including police, vehicle licensing and banking 
computers - are routinely penetrated by private investigators on behalf 
of clients, including media organisations

*8.* 250,000 smart cards have been issued granting access to the Spine

*9.* The department threatens to withhold appropriate medical care to 
objectors

*10.* Doctors say there is no necessity to design the Spine in this way

Regards,
Mark Preston


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