In 2013, UK Prime Minister David Cameron tried to instigate the sharing of UK National Health Service (“NHS”) patient data to private organisations for a small fee. Despite plans to anonymise the data, the move was sufficiently controversial that the Government had to drop the plan – there were major concerns over transparency and privacy. Eight years later, a similar plan has emerged, this time during the pandemic response of Boris Johnson’s Government.

Successful responses to the coronavirus pandemic globally have invariably involved a high degree of compliance from the public. The extent to which people ‘follow the rules’ has determined the speed and effectiveness of governments’ responses to outbreaks as and when they occur.

In healthcare settings, patients have a strong interest in knowing their privacy will be protected. Given that health information is often highly sensitive, in what circumstances is it reasonable for a health agency to disclose that information to others?

The information on this page is more than one year old and may no longer be current. Please visit our Privacy and COVID-19 page for the most up-to-date information.

Since 2007, companies like 23andMe.com and Ancestry.com have made at-home DNA testing kits accessible to the masses. Through a simple online order, you can receive a kit, provide a saliva sample and return it to the company for analysis.

As you may already know, both winter and privacy breach notifications are coming. And while you may have already prepared for winter and its influx of colds and flu, it’s also important to prepare for mandatory breach notifications, so that your agency is ready when the requirements kick in.

We’ve all seen the ads for genetic ancestry testing - as a way for people to trace their genealogy beyond traditional family trees and historical detail. And thanks to shows like CSI, the public might think of DNA as an investigative tool for the Police; a silver bullet that can solve any high-profile case in just minutes. But DNA can be used for much more than law enforcement activities or tracing ancestry.

The New Year is often a time for people to think about their health plans. And while “new year, new me” might not extend to “new health insurance”, your patients may be considering taking out or renewing their health or life insurance policy.