It seems opt-in reform was applied selectively

Don’t you love it when big businesses are allowed access to your private and personal data without your permission? I’m not saying that’s the case here – I put the **allegedly** in the title for fun – although it’s very likely untrue with all the non-truths we’ve been force fed over the last 12 months – I’ll let you research and decide that for yourself. In any case – it seems they’re at it again – and no doubt they’ll be a few ‘back-handers’ and ‘greasy palms’ between the different parties even if it’s not in hard cash but certain unspoken benefits – as is usually  the case when it comes to government and data companies buddying up.

But even if all of that is nonsense (lets’s not pretend all of the above has not happened before even if it’s not these parties or the case here) – word on the street (clearly not the high-street as that’s disappeared) is **allegedly** that if you are in UK – you should opt out of this ASAP – you only have a few days (see the fact check below from their website for an interesting read. How on EARTH they are allowed to just go ahead and op everyone in without express consent it beyond me. It’s not as if it’s a small mom-and-pop outfit that just want to send you a little newsletter informing you of some great new service that would benefit them, or give them some gardening tips – this is your personal private health records.

Remember the EU Data protection ‘reform’a few years back?

Several years ago I received a letter from by GP that they were handing over my patient info to Google if I didn’t opt out – this was about 7 years ago and I stupidly signed it and returned – I don’t know what I was thinking or what happened to my data – I expect it’s somewhere in the huge big-tech washing machine of data. I then found out that only a handful of fools like me got it. Ask anyone and most people have no clue and didn’t get one. I’m not making this up. It sat on my desk for a couple of weeks giving me anxiety and worry – surely this isn”t right – oh well – I better do it if I want to be seen. I got the impression if I didn’t I would have trouble getting treatment. Usual coercive nonsense. And then a few years later we had the big hoo-haa when the EU bragged about how they were making businesses ‘accountable’ making them only allow folks to opt in to such use of data – obviously only applies to small guys.

But they are on the ball – here is their myth-busting page info..

How to fully OPT-OUT of this data handover..

A direct link (almost) to manage your data choice..

Thank you for the pages of text above – now here is the direct link if you don’t want to read them all (though it may be wise to – not that any of this will make much difference in the end): https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/manage-your-choice/ which takes you to: https://your-data-matters.service.nhs.uk/

PS – I should warn you that whilst attempting to opt  out (how many pages do I have to read and scroll through to get the the opt-out part?!) there is a clause in all this that pretty much makes your opting out meaningless* if 2020/21 is anything to go on *allegedly/IMHO.

From the opt out pages…

When your choice does not apply

Choose if data from your health records is shared for research and planning

If you choose to stop your confidential patient information being used for research and planning, your data might still be used in some situations. (what exactly?)

When there is an overriding public interest

In an emergency or in a situation when the safety of others is most important. For example, to help manage contagious diseases like coronavirus and stop them spreading. (so is there is no point in opting out? Who knows).