The New Dark Age

7 November 2014 — 38 Degrees

Care.data – the scheme that would give our personal medical data to private companies. It’s being rolled out in just a few weeks’ time. [1]

But 92% of 38 Degrees members think we should get the scheme stopped until we can make sure our health data won’t end up in private hands. [2] So let’s get going!

The scheme’s being tested in 6 pilot areas before it goes nationwide. [3] We’ll need to throw everything at stopping it in these areas if we want to stop the roll-out. We’ll have to show NHS England that thousands of us will opt out of the whole scheme, if they won’t let us decide who gets our personal data.

So here’s the plan:

• First we let everyone know it’s happening. Thousands of us could call people living in the areas where it’s being rolled out first, to tell them about Care.data. We could flyer every house, buy local advertising space and do lots of other things.
• Next, we help people opt out. We could build a website where people can opt out of Care.data easily until NHS England fix the scheme.

But we’ll need money to make all that happen. Will you chip in to help fund a massive campaign to get Care.data stopped in the pilot areas? Please click here:

Chip in 

Done right, Care.data could be used to make our NHS better. Our data could be used by researchers to develop new treatments and improve public health. [4] But right now, NHS England won’t let us decide who gets our data: NHS doctors and researchers, or private companies.

If the pilot goes well, Care.data will be rolled out across the country. Together, we need to stop it now – and get it fixed – before it goes national. NHS England could change the system so that we can opt out of private companies getting our data. So let’s make sure they do.

Can you chip in now to fund a mass opt-out of Care.data? Please click here to make sure our data doesn’t end up with private companies:

Chip in 

The last time NHS England tried to sneakily hand our medical records to private companies, thousands of us threatened to opt out. So they ‘paused’ the project, and it looked like they’d backed down. [5] This time, not much has changed. Their version of Care.data still stinks.

We need to show NHS bosses that we want an NHS that works for us, not private companies. If they don’t change Care.data, the public will opt out.

But we’ll only be able to do this if enough of us chip in. Can you chip in a few pounds now to stop Care.data until it’s fixed?

Chip in 

Thanks for being involved,

Rachel, Susannah, Blanche and the 38 Degrees team

PS: In case you missed it, on Wednesday evening our forests were saved – again! And together we played a huge part in that.

The government was trying to sneak through plans which would have paved the way for our forests to be sold-off. Forest campaigners have been working on this for months. But at the very last minute, after over 150,000 members of 38 Degrees signed a huge petition and thousands of people tweeted at peers, they backed down.

The government u-turned and made changes which mean our forests will be protected – in law. Yay! More info here: http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2014/11/05/save-our-forests-victory/

NOTES:
[1] Computing: NHS England to forge ahead with ‘unchanged’ care.data plans:
http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2374495/nhs-england-to-forge-ahead-with-unchanged-caredata-plans#
[2] 38 Degrees blog: 38 Degrees members vote to stop Care.data until it’s fixed:
http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2014/10/20/38-degrees-members-vote-to-stop-care-data-until-its-fixed/
[3] The NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) taking part in the pilot are: Leeds North, Leeds West and Leeds South and East, Somerset, West Hampshire and Blackburn with Darwen
[4] NHS England: The care.data programme – better information means better care:
http://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/tsd/care-data/
[5] The Telegraph: NHS medical records database halted amid concerns:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/nhs/10647031/NHS-medical-records-database-halted-amid-concerns.html