Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government why the answer to the "Frequently Asked Question" on the NHS England website about NHS England’s Federated Data Platform "Can patients opt out of sharing their data with the Federated Data Platform?" was changed at some point after 20 November, from starting with "No" to saying that the national data opt-out "will always be respected".

The Frequently Asked Questions have been developed and refined based on feedback from stakeholders and the public. The National Data Opt-Out applies when confidential patient information is used for planning and research, not when it is used for direct care. Although the Federated Data Platform (FDP) will not use such information for planning or research, the answer was revised to make clear that, as with any system handling patient data, the National Data Opt-Out would be respected for any relevant uses of data.

We are committed to providing public information that is meaningful and accessible for a range of audiences. The easy read accessible version has been co-produced with representatives of the audience for whom it is designed. We will continue to keep this under review to make sure it is aligned with the other information available on the FDP.