Thank you for your report highlighting the government’s grab of GPs’ data (GPs warn over plans to share patient data with third parties in England, 30 May) and the accompanying editorial (The Guardian view on medical records: NHS data grab needs explaining, 30 May). NHS data is a major potential resource for medical research. As you can see on the study’s website, data for the trial is collected within the hospital. NHS Digital and Health Data Research UK seem to be disinclined to provide the explanations needed, GPs are too busy and Matt Hancock could not be trusted. Robert OultonGodalming, SurreyFor those readers who wish to opt out of the NHS data grab (The Tories have worked out how to pull off an NHS data grab: do it during a pandemic, 5 June), the NHS Digital website will send you round in circles.

Source: The Guardian June 06, 2021 17:15 UTC