The potential health delivery benefits arising from the digital revolution cannot be underestimated. In the past we have reported on the way in which virtual wards have enabled at-home monitoring and treatment programmes; in the process freeing up vital space in hospitals whilst also helping to ensure that more patients can be treated by existing teams of clinicians. We have also explored the way in which the availability of digital patient information can help to speed up communications between health providers whilst also reducing administration time. And we’ve also looked at the way in which that administration and treatment time can be further reduced by deploying online patient booking systems or outsourcing telephone answering to specialist clinical call handling providers.

Whilst these benefits are clear to those working within health services, more may need to be done to ensure that patients are fully aware of the way in which their data is being collected and stored. For example, a report earlier this year by ‘Understanding Patient Data’ revealed that patients tended to see the NHS as a single organisation. As a result, 61% of those surveyed thought that there already was one single record held nationally which contained all of their data. Rather confusingly the same percentage said they would prefer a nationally controlled record rather than a GP led record whilst at the same time seeing GPs as the most trusted when it comes to making decisions about patient data. And whilst 81% thought it was very or somewhat important that they be given access to their own GP record, just 56% had accessed their data.

These findings and others led the report’s authors to make a number of recommendations about the storage and management of patient data. The need for clear and consistent messaging on how patient data was managed came through strongly as did the need for messaging to “focus on what matters most to people—how to access records, who can see their data, and how it is protected.”

The importance of that last message was thrown into the spotlight at the beginning of June 2025 when NHS England opted to pause a project which was using GP data to train an artificial intelligence programme which was being designed to predict future health needs. The decision came after GPs and others became aware that data originally collected for Covid 19 research was being used to train the programme. Whilst researchers commented that the information used was de-identified data, GP leaders questioned whether correct processes were followed and whether data was being shared in line with good governance practices and patient expectations. In the light of this query the programme has been paused whilst a data protection review takes place.

Commenting on the project an NHS England spokesperson told Digital Health News that: “Maintaining patient privacy is central to this project and we are grateful to the joint GP IT committee for raising its concerns and meeting with us to discuss the strict governance and controls in place to ensure patients’ data remains secure.”