Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether NHS Digital is compliant with all legal obligations under the national data opt out Direction 2017, in particular the requirements in that Direction under the subheading Analysis of the impact of national opt outs; and if so, what analysis NHS Digital has undertaken.

NHS Digital has complied with all aspects of the national data opt-out Direction 2017. The national data opt-out, including the systems to collect and store national data opt-out preferences, was implemented on 25 May 2018.

Since July 2018, NHS Digital has published regular statistical publications on the number of people with a national data opt-out. Since November 2018 the analysis has included a breakdown by age, gender and geography.

NHS Digital has also produced some analysis of the impact on Hospital Episode Statistics. The analysis is based on recent national data opt-out data and will be published by April 2019.