§ Mr. GillTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received about the wider use within the National Health Service of family practitioners committees' patient registration data; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonThe basic information people provide when they register with a doctor — name, address, age and sex—gives family practitioner committees the most comprehensive and up-to-date record of the population within their area. Many health authorities would like to make use of this information as a basis for developing a community index which they believe would greatly assist them, especially in planning programmes for health screening and the prevention of illness.
There is, of course, no question of passing clinical information about an individual from one authority to another. Nevertheless, some doubts have been expressed about whether it would be proper to make available in the way proposed even such basic "age-sex register" data. We think therefore that it is right to promote wider public discussion before reaching a conclusion. Accordingly, we have today published a consultation document on the matter, seeking views by the end of February 1988.