§ 14. Mrs. Clwydasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the confidentiality of patient records in the National Health Service in Wales.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsThe Data Protection Act 1984 requires health authorities and family practitioner committees to adopt new practices for handling personal health records. The Welsh Office has recently consulted health authorities and other interests in Wales about a draft code on confidentiality of personal health information and comments received are being considered. I shall announce my conclusions in due course.
§ Mrs. ClwydI thank the Minister for his reply. Will he confirm that patient records should be confidential between doctor and patient and that they should not be released to an outside body, whatever the circumstances, without the patient's express permission?
§ Mr. RobertsThat is the case. We are consulting on the character of the code and will make our views known in due course.
§ Mr. MeadowcroftAre considerations of confidentiality inhibiting the computerisation of family practitioner committee records, on which depend the accuracy and reliability of recall for patients, especially as regards screening for cervical cancer?
§ Mr. RobertsI am not aware of computerisation and data protection holding up progress such as the hon. Gentleman mentioned.
§ Mr. ColemanIn view of recent publicity concerning referrals for cervical cancer screening, has the Minister made inquiries in Wales to ascertain the efficiency of the system? Will he take this opportunity to make it clear that responsibility for issuing notification does not lie with the laboratories that carry out the tests?
§ Mr. RobertsThe hon. Gentleman is right. We have made inquiries, and proper instructions have been issued.