Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations his Department has received from (a) NHS organisations, (b) Public Health England, (c) local authorities and (d) other parties on problems in sharing health and care data; what the content of those representations was; and if he will make a statement.

In June this year, the Department undertook a consultation in relation to proposed data sharing regulations associated with ensuring that commissioners are able to access the data they need to undertake their statutory functions, at the same time providing for the necessary controls so that this was limited to the minimum level of information required and for specific purposes.

There were 278 responses from a range of organisations, including from within the National Health Service and Local Government, as well as professional organisations such as the Royal Colleges and service user focussed groups. These responses are currently being considered and a Government response will be issued in due course.

The Department continues to have a regular dialogue with organisations across the health and care system, as well as with the recently appointed National Data Guardian, Dame Fiona Caldicott, so that we can understand the key priorities that exist in relation to data sharing and, from that, consider what contribution the Department can make to ensuring that data sharing is an effective component of securing the best outcomes for patients.