+ STOP THE UPLOAD NOW +
Connecting for Health (CfH) continues to push forward its plan to nationalise and centralise all medical records in England [1], despite a misleading announcement from the Department of Health that uploads to the Summary Care Record (SCR) are ‘on hold’. In just the last few days, the medical press has reported that:
NHS East Riding of Yorkshire began sending out notification letters to patients the day before election day; GP practices in Hastings, East Sussex have uploaded records over the past 2-3 weeks, despite patients complaining they hadn’t received a notification letter; At least 9 other Primary Care Trusts are working towards upload, and practice managers – not GPs – may already have given the go-ahead for upload at some practices in South West Essex.
Clearly, whatever deal was agreed between the British Medical Association and the NHS, there is no effective barrier to upload. And CfH is desperate to create a ‘critical mass’ of records, which it thinks will make the system impossible to scrap.
We need to act quickly.
30 million ‘Patient Information Packs’ were sent out in the run-up to the general election. No-one knows how many failed to reach their intended target. Both parties that now form the new government pledged to scrap the Care Records system but, every day that uploads continue, people’s medical confidentiality is being put at risk.
Please take a few minutes now or today to write to your new MP, urging him or her to call for an immediate halt to Summary Care Record uploads. POWER2010 has very kindly built an online letter-writing tool to help you do this:
As always, it’s far better if you use your own words – but the important thing is that your MP hears from you NOW. — [1] The Summary Care Record is for England only. The other nations have separate but similar systems of their own. NHS Scotland’s Emergency Care Summary went live in 2006, NHS Wales began rolling out Individual Health Records in 2008 and a year-long pilot of the Northern Ireland Emergency Care Record started in late 2009.
*+ ‘ERASING DAVID’ SCREENINGS +*
The producers of Erasing David – the new documentary about privacy, surveillance and the database state – are offering NO2ID groups and supporters the chance to hold screenings of your own *before* the retail launch of the DVD.
If you, or a supportive organisation for which you work or volunteer, would like to show the film to an audience in a club, community centre, school or elsewhere then you can get a (paid) license to do so from the Good Screenings website:
www.goodscreenings.org/films/5/info/
Please note: you will need to ensure that the venue you are using also has the appropriate Premises License. More information and advice on organising screenings in NO2ID’s Erasing David campaign pack update, which you can download from here:
www.no2id.net/downloads/ED_campaign_update.pdf
What just happened?
+ Privacy Rights centre to fight breaches of privacy +
The Law Society and Privacy International have announced a new centre to promote efforts by individuals to combat “oppressive surveillance technologies”. The privacy rights centre, backed by the Law Society in association with Privacy International, is an important initiative that demonstrates just how seriously the legal establishment is taking our *positive* agenda. NO2ID have been part of the discussion leading up to this exciting new venture, and we’ve agreed a work programme to explore potentially radical new ways to provide individuals with greater control over their personal information.
+ Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) passes anti-ID motion +
The civil servants’ trade union, PCS, with 300,000 members, has unanimously voted to oppose the policy of ID cards and to explore opportunities for joint campaigning with pressure groups opposed to the scheme.
Motion A4, proposed by PCS’s National Executive Committee at the union’s 1300 strong annual delegate conference in Brighton this week, was framed before the general election and subsequent announcements by the new government. However, it was still debated and voted on, with no substantive changes.
Debating the motion, PCS representatives reiterated their opposition to the ID scheme and expressed fears of forthcoming “brutal” cuts. They said that PCS members being asked to market an identity scheme was at odds with “the ethos and impartiality of a civil servant”.
John Mcinally, National Vice-president of PCS, who proposed the motion, said: “As a union we welcome the scrapping of the scheme, but we have to continue to be vigilant about attacks on civil liberties, jobs, and the commercialisation and privatisation of the civil service.”
The motion was carried with no abstentions. (from Christina Zaba, Union Liaison Officer, NO2ID – see the on-line edition of this newsletter for an extended version of this piece)
+ HIP removal announced – so why not ID cards? +
Home Information Packs (HIPs) were announced in the Queen’s Speech in November 2003, so were plans for a national ID scheme. The introduction of HIPs was subject to delays and plans were scaled back – just like the ID scheme. In 2009 HIPS were finally issued and so were ID cards. The scrapping of HIPs was a manifesto pledge by the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, so was scrapping ID cards. Today Eric Pickles MP, the new Communities Secretary announced that “HIPs are history” and “laid an Order suspending HIPs with immediate effect” (pending primary legislation for a permanent abolition). Meanwhile ID cards are still being issued and the UK Identity and Passport website states: “Until Parliament agrees otherwise, identity cards remain valid and as such can still be used as an identity document and for travel within Europe.” Alas we still await a Pickles style announcement from the Home Office. See www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1591777
+ Web browsers can reveal online identity +
A report has been published this week by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) which looks at the degree to which modern internet browser software can be used to reveal the identity of web users via information that they transmit to websites upon request. The report explains that the information transmitted allows the browser to be “fingerprinted” and there is software now available that can analyse this data. EFF have been running an experiment at https://panopticlick.eff.org that collected these fingerprints from a sample of 470,161 browsers operated by informed participants. The report suggests: “Policymakers should start treating fingerprintable records as potentially personally identifiable, and set limits on the durations for which they can be associated with identities and sensitive logs”. The report points out that the “Tor project is noteworthy for already considering and designing against fingerprintability”. See https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/05/every-browser-unique-results-fom-panopticlick
What’s next?
*+ BCS Call for action to identify IT related priorities +*
The British Computer Society (BCS) has launched a consultation to identify the top five IT-related issues to be put before the new government. The online consultation form lists 20 issues, including issue 15 which looks at identity management and states: “Individuals should control their identity authentication which is essential for e-commerce to thrive.” The deadline for responses is mid-day Wednesday 2nd June. See www.bcs.org/upload/pdf/appendix-call-for-action.pdf Take part at https://forms.bcs.org/action-calls
* + Erasing David – Feature Length Documentary + *
‘Erasing David’ is an exciting new feature length documentary that explores our personal relationship with the Database State. During May the film will be shown as part of the More4 documentary strand ‘True Stories’, broadcast every Tuesday at 10pm. The film will also at selected cinemas: 24-27th May – Dundee Contemporary Arts See www.erasingdavid.com
*+ Have your say – National Identity Service Public Panels +*
The UK Identity and Passport Service (UKIPS) is setting up public panels around the country to get the views of members of the public as they build the “National Identity Service”. Public panels will be made up of 11 members, and will meet for half a day up to three times a year. The aim is to “produce an Identity Rights Charter. This will set out the rights and responsibilities people, businesses and the Government have under the NIS”. To join a panel you can fill in the online form at http://www.ips.gov.uk/publicpanel or call 020 3356 8174. More details at www.ips.gov.uk/cps/rde/xchg/ips_live/hs.xsl/1189.htm
“ID” in the news
*+ Repeal bill – politics.co.uk 19/5/10 +*
Mr Clegg is expected to promise a repeal bill that will scrap the identity card scheme and second generation biometric passports, remove limits on the rights to peaceful protest and block ‘pointless’ new criminal offences. www.politics.co.uk/speakers-corner/issue-of-the-day/legal-and-constitutional/repeal-bill-$21377890$21377890.htm
*+ PCTs look for GP agreement to SCR – e-Health Insider 18/5/10 +*
Primary care trusts are seeking agreement from GP practices to go ahead with the creation of Summary Care Records in areas where their roll-out had been suspended. www.e-health-insider.com/news/5913/pcts_look_for_gp_agreement_to_scr
*+ Your views: ID cards are killed off – IT Pro 17/5/10 +*
IT Pro readers are split over the issue of ID cards, with some saying scrapping the scheme is even more of a waste of cash than going ahead with them. www.itpro.co.uk/623362/your-views-id-cards-are-killed-off
*+ £6bn cuts includes double IT savings – Kable 17/5/10 +*
George Osborne, the new chancellor of the exchequer, said he will announce the details of the cuts on 24 May 2010, with an emergency budget speech on 22 June. HM Treasury said the £6bn will include “doubling the current delivery plans for savings in IT spending” and “cancelling wasteful projects like ID cards”. www.kable.co.uk/osborne-6bn-cuts-double-it-savings-17may2010
*+ FFW’s ID card work to survive change of govt – The Lawyer 17/5/10 +*
Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) has been assured that the Government’s plan to scrap the controversial ID cards scheme will not see it lose out on its work on the project. Both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have pledged to ditch ID cards and the National Identity Register. However, FFW’s role as adviser to the Identity and ?Passport Service (IPS) will not be affected by any of the proposed changes. www.thelawyer.com/ffw%C3%83%C2%A2%C3%82%E2%82%AC%C3%82%E2%84%A2s-id-card-work-to-survive-change-of-govt/1004426.article
*+ National Programme for IT faces an uncertain future – v3 17/5/10 +*
The coalition government has laid out a clear agenda to scrap many of Labour’s ideas for public databases and central IT agendas, such as the ID Card project and the ContactPoint database, but plans for the NHS and the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) remain uncertain. www.v3.co.uk/v3/analysis/2263155/uncertain-future-npfit
*+ Why the coalition is set to bring us a rise in crime – The Telegraph 15/5/10 +*
Most of us think that a top priority of any effective government should be to have clear and coherent policies on cutting crime. But getting rid of ID cards and making it harder for the police to retain DNA records is not going to reduce crime: if anything, it will increase it, by making crime harder to detect and criminals more difficult to apprehend. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/7728930/Why-the-coalition-is-set-to-bring-us-a-rise-in-crime.html
*+ Killing off big IT projects “will be costly” – Public Technology 14/5/10 +*
The new Conservative-Liberal Democrat administration has already gone on record saying ID cards, biometric passports and ContactPoint, all deemed either a waste of scant government money or inimical to civil liberties, are for the chop. However, the new administration may be in for something of a nasty shock when it comes to dismantling such big central government ICT contracts. www.publictechnology.net/sector/central-gov/killing-big-it-projects-will-be-costly
*+ Developing a pan-European scheme for data on natural persons – epractice.eu 14/5/10 +*
Personal data is a set of data used virtually in all contexts of eGovernment and public administration. SEMIC.EU is currently working on a core set of attributes which represent a harmonisation of current implementations of natural person data models already available in national and international eGovernment contexts. www.epractice.eu/en/news/316472
*+ 1,000 Lancashire ID card holders left in uncertainty – Lancashire Telegraph 13/5/10 +*
Hundreds of Lancashire people have been left in uncertainty after controversial ID cards were scrapped by the new coalition government. www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/blackburn/8164833.1_000_Lancashire_ID_card_holders_left_in_uncertainty/
*+ Identity & Passport Service in suicide bid? – The Register 12/5/10 +*
All is not well – as we suggested might be the case this morning – at the Identity and Passport Service. Matter of fact, it may have just killed itself. www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/12/ips_ukba_top_selves/
(Please send me any items of interest you encounter – Editor(newsletter@no2id.net) )
*+ LOCAL GROUPS NEWS + *
Many of our local groups are taking a well earned rest following the general election.
To see if there’s a group in your area check our list at www.no2id.net/localgroups/ Or, if you’re interested in starting a group yourself, please contact Matty on local.groups@no2id.net to discuss what’s involved and what we have in place to support coordinators and their groups.
_*+ Blackburn +*_
If you are interested in the work of this group, please join the Blackburn mailing group at lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.blackburn_**_
_*Camden/Islington*_
*+ 1st June – Camden/Islington NO2ID Meeting (1st Tuesday of month) +*
Camden/Islington group will be meeting at The Kings Head, 59 Essex Rd, Islington (in the beer garden), at 8.00pm (1st Tuesday of the month) 1st June. Newcomers welcome.
_**__*+ Canterbury +*_
To stay up to date join the Canterbury NO2ID mailing list on: lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.canterbury
_*+ Dorking +*_
*+ 1st June – Dorking NO2ID Monthly Meeting (first Tuesday of month) +*
Monthly get-togethers continue on the first Tuesday of each month at South Street Wine Bar, Dorking at 7.30pm. Otherwise, we are having a month off to review the election result and (cliché alert) survey the new political landscape.
If you would like to help or get involved, contact Geoff Cox (dorking@no2id.net or 01306 631377), or just come along to our monthly get-togethers.
_*+ Dover +*_*
*To stay up to date with Dover NO2ID join our mailing list on: lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.dover
_*+ Edinburgh + *_******* +
Saturdays 1pm – 3pm – Edinburgh **NO2ID** Street Stall +*
Every week, weather permitting, you will find our campaigning stall at the east end of Princes Street, opposite the Balmoral Hotel. Do drop by for a chat. New volunteers – please contact John (edinburgh@no2id.net), and for more group information see www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/
_*+ Exeter +*_
If you would like to join the Exeter group, please email exeter@no2id.net and say hello! Do also join the Exeter group mailing list at lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.exeter
** _*+ Hull & East Riding +*_
If you are interested in the work of this group, or planning on attending the meeting, please join the Hull mailing group here: lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.hull
_*+ Glasgow +*_
*+ 1st June – Glasgow NO2ID Monthly Meeting (1st Tuesday of month) +*
Tuesday 1st June, 8pm in Mono, 10 King Street. Glasgow, G1 5QP (directions can be found at www.glasgow-no2id.org.uk/meeting.html). Our monthly meetings are relaxed and informal. If you would like to help plan our campaign, learn more about the issues, or simply chat with like-minded people, please come along.
_*+ Hull and East Riding +*_
*+ 29th May – Hull and East Riding NO2ID Meeting and Street Stall +*
Saturday 29th May, meeting 12 noon, The Mission pub, Posterngate, Hull City Centre followed by Street Stall 1.00 on Jameson Street (outside McDonald’s/Starbucks), Hull City Centre – at this meeting we’ll discuss holding street stalls in other venues in the East Riding over the next few months. Any queries contact hull@no2id.net
_**__*+ Ipswich +*_* *
If you are interested in the work of the Ipswich group, please join their mailing list on: lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.ipswich
_*+ Lancaster +*_
If you are interested in the work of this group, or planning on attending the meeting, please join the Lancaster mailing group at lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.lancaster
_*+ Leeds +*_
If you are interested in the work of this group, please join the Leeds mailing group at lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.leeds
_*+ Liverpool +*_
If you are interested in the work of this group please join the Liverpool mailing group at lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.liverpool or email Jeff the new local coordinator at Liverpool@no2id.net
_*+ Manchester +*_
*+ 12th June – Manchester NO2ID Monthly Meeting +*
Saturday, 12th June, 12-1:30pm in the Moon Under Water pub on Deansgate. Manchester No2ID will be holding its monthly meeting ahead of the afternoon street stall. See minutes of our previous meetings on our website. The pub is just opposite St Ann’s Square where the street stall will occur at 2pm, and serves food. With the Government pledging to end the National Identity Register, there are still many aspects of the Database State on which No2ID will continue to campaign, including the NHS Summary Care Records scheme. manchester.no2id.net/content/monthly-meeting-june-2010 www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=109068122471757
*+ 12th June – Manchester NO2ID Street Stall +*
Saturday 12th June, 2-4pm in St. Ann’s Square in Manchester City Centre. While it looks like the National Identity Scheme has been scrapped, plenty of Database State initiatives still remain for us to campaign against, including the NHS Summary Care Record scheme. Feel free to join us to lend a hand or just chat. You don’t need any experience or equipment, just a bit of time to spare and a friendly smile! manchester.no2id.net/content/street-stall-june-2010 www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=120775584621888
_*+ Newcastle +*_
If you are interested in the work of this group, please join the Newcastle mailing group at: lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.newcastle
**_*+ Norwich +*_ * *
Norwich NO2ID would like to wish former Home Secretary Charles Clarke a happy retirement in whatever executive consultancy roles that he can muster, and sends best wishes to the new MP for Norwich South, Simon Wright, and current incumbent in Norwich North, Chloe Smith, as well as all of the other Norfolk MPs, MEPs and councillors who support the aims of NO2ID. We would also like to thank the local supporters who have helped us to hold on to our liberties.
*+ 26th June – Norwich NO2ID Stall +*
Saturday 26th June, 9am – 7pm at the Norwich Peace Camp & Peace Cycle Event, The Forum. Norwich NO2ID will join other local community groups, charities and organisations to further the cause of peace, justice and better understanding. We will raise awareness, share ideas and address key issues and concerns which face us locally and in the world as a whole. There will also be music and other live entertainment, so it promises to be a cheerful and enlightening day for all. Please come along, it will be great to see you there. Find out more at www.norwichpeace.org/
If you are interested in the work of the Norwich group, please join their mailing list on: lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.norwich
_*+ Oxford +*_
*+ 13th May – NO2ID Oxford Meeting +*
Thursday 13th May, from 8pm at the Mitre pub on the High Street for a drink and a chat about the election results and future events. Everyone is welcome.
See the website for more info on Oxford NO2ID: no2id-oxford.org.uk/
_*+ Portsmouth +*_
Join the Portsmouth mailing list at lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.portsmouth/
_*+ Reading +*_* *
Contact Reading NO2ID on reading@no2id.net or join our web group at groups.yahoo.com/group/Reading-No2ID/
_*+ Sheffield +*_
*+ 26th May – Sheffield NO2ID Meeting +*
Wednesday 26th May, 7.30pm at the Harlequin pub, 108 Nursery St, Sheffield, S3 8GG (maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=s3+8gg). This meeting is to discuss Sheffield NO2ID’s future priorities and direction in tackling the Database State under the new government. The meeting room is upstairs. We usually congregate in the bar shortly before the meeting. Please ask the bar staff if you can’t find us.
Please join the mailing list If you haven’t already: lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.sheffield
_*+ St Helens & Wigan +*_
Anyone interested in our work should join the St.Helens mailing group at lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.st-helens
_*+ Watford +*_* *
Please contact Colin Simmons on watford@no2id.net if you are interested in giving a couple of hours a month to join us.
_*+ York +*_ **
No events currently planned – it’s been a good run up to the election, plenty of good response on the stalls – here’s hoping the scheme will be one of the first post-election cuts.
You can join our Facebook group here: www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/group.php?gid=54041617189&ref=ts
Anyone interested in the work of this group should join the York mailing group at: lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.york
Publication details: © NO2ID 2010 – This document may be freely redistributed in one-to-one communications or physical copies as long as it is reproduced in its entirety including this notice. It may not be mass-mailed without the prior permission of NO2ID.
NO2ID, Box 412, 19-21 Crawford Street, LONDON W1H 1PJ
The New Dark Age 