NOTICE BOARD
MDDUS reminder on care.data
MDDUS is reminding GPs practising in England of their obligations to inform patients of the care.data programme that will be implemented this Spring. Under the care.data programme, patient
information will be gathered from various NHS providers and forwarded to the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) where it will be used by healthcare commissioners to assess the safety and quality of local services. The information can also be used by NHS organisations to plan and design better services. In October, NHS England moved to ease concern among GPs by announcing plans for a nationwide publicity campaign to raise awareness of the programme. Leaflets will be delivered to all 22 million households in England throughout January, explaining how care.data will operate. Patients will then have four weeks to tell their GP if they would like to opt out before the first data extraction occurs in March. Concerns have been raised that public
awareness of care.data is low and MDDUS reminds GPs that they remain under an obligation to take their own steps to inform patients that objections can be raised to prevent data extraction. Guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office explains that, to avoid falling foul of the Data Protection Act, GPs must “actively” communicate information to their patients to ensure that “as far as practically possible” all patients are aware of their right to object. NHS England has provided posters and
leaflets to GP practices and has issued additional guidance that explains GPs’ legal obligations to provide data to the HSCIC for the care.data programme. It also sets out measures that can be taken to achieve effective patient notification. MDDUS would advise GPs to familiarise themselves with the ICO and NHS England guidance and to make use of the information posters and leaflets available. By doing so, we believe our members would be unlikely to find themselves in
● ENTRY CALL FOR BMJ AWARDS 2014 January 24 is the last day for entries to the 2014 BMJ Awards. MDDUS is proud to be headline sponsor of the awards which are now in their sixth year. For 2014 new categories have been
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breach of the Data Protection Act or other rules relating to patient confidentiality.
Former BDA president joins board
THE Board of MDDUS is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Amarjit Gill (above) as a new non-executive director. The former British Dental Association president will play an important role in strategic development and his appointment further strengthens the dental expertise available to the Union. Professor Gordon Dickson, chief
executive, said: “I am delighted that Amarjit Gill has joined the Board. He brings a wealth of experience that will contribute enormously to the Board’s work as it continues to grow and develop the Union.”
With more than 30 years’ experience in
the profession, Dr Gill is one of the most high profile and influential figures in the
added, there is an enhanced judging process and a strong focus on UK medical talent. Doctor-led teams in the UK can enter 13 categories, with cancer care, diabetes, gastroenterology and primary care among the specialties recognised.
UK dental field. He was on the executive board of the BDA for 10 years, including a period as deputy chairman, before being elected BDA president in 2010. Dr Gill qualified at the Royal Dental Hospital, University of London, in 1981 and has since developed an interest in aesthetic dentistry. He works in a successful practice in Nottingham focused on preventive and cosmetic dentistry. He has lectured throughout the UK and
abroad on various topics including the future of UK dentistry, practice management and periodontology. He has also chaired the National Dentistry Awards judging panel and has published numerous articles in the dental press. Dr Gill said: “I am really pleased to join
this extremely respected organisation, which exists to serve its members’ best interests. It will be a pleasure to work with highly esteemed colleagues in directing the organisation’s ambitions across the UK.”
Visit
thebmjawards.bmj.com for more information and to enter. ● CAN MY DOCTOR BE MY FRIEND? If you can trust your doctor with your life, can you be their Facebook friend? In a recent “Scrubbing Up” column on the BBC
Health website, MDDUS medical adviser Dr Naeem Nazem looked at the ethical challenges facing doctors and the implications for the patient relationship when engaging through social media. Read the full article at
www.tinyurl.com/nkhbmcr
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