Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of conducting a comprehensive review of the financial implications of the General Data Protection Regulation on GP practices.

The implications of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on general practitioner (GP) practices have been raised with NHS England as part of the wider General Medical Services contract review discussions.

The Information Governance Alliance (IGA) co-ordinates advice on information governance issues to the health and care system on the behalf of the Department, NHS England, NHS Digital and Public Health England. The IGA has published a number of guidance documents to support compliance with the GDPR requirements by National Health Service organisations. The guidance documents will be kept under review and revised as necessary. However, as directed by the GDPR, GP practices will not be allowed to charge third parties for subject access to patient medical records.