Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS subject access requests are accessible to people without photographic identification.

Data protection law allows for people to make requests for copies of their own data through subject access requests. Confirming identification is important as it helps to stop organisations from inadvertently disclosing personal data.

Information that can be used to check people’s identity can include proof of identification, for example, driving licence, passport, birth or marriage certificate; or proof of relationship/authority, for example, requesting information about a child or by an agent.