HL Deb 22 May 1975 vol 360 cc1531-2WA
The Earl of KIMBERLEY

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the names, addresses and record numbers of patients given on the forms provided for the Hospital Activity Analysis are also retained in computer files, and if so, for what purposes.

Lord WELLS-PESTELL

The entry of the patient's name into the computer record is not generally required for Hospital Activity Analysis, and this item is usually obliterated from the form before it is sent to the computer centre. Some hospital authorities, however, include this particular item in the computer record in response to the requirements of some clinicians for named clinical summaries.

Addresses are not included on computer files. The residence details are reduced to code numbers so that catchment areas can be analysed and studied. Record numbers are retained in the computer file to enable individual records to be identified when correcting errors in data detected in the course of validation at the computer centre. These are also used to provide un-named clinical summaries.