Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government from when a national data opt-out expressed directly to NHS Digital will apply to data shared for secondary uses by a GP practice and be visible to GP practices.

In line with the implementation plan set out in the Government response to the National Data Guardian’s Review of Data Security, Consent and Opt-Outs, Your Data: Better Security, Better Choice, Better Care, general practitioner (GP) practices will be required to apply national data opt-outs, expressed to NHS Digital, by March 2020. By this date national data opt-outs must be applied by all health and care organisations in line with the national data opt-out policy when confidential patient information is being shared for purposes beyond the patient’s individual care (also referred to as secondary uses). NHS Digital has commissioned the GP system suppliers to develop solutions for their GP systems which will enable GP practices to uphold national data opt-outs. We will publish further details as these solutions become available.