The U.K. Department of Health and Social Care is reportedly selling National Health Service patient data to U.S. drug companies, according to The Guardian.
Leaked details from meetings between U.S. and U.K. trade officials hint that drug manufacturers in the U.S. have their eyes pinned on acquiring vast amounts of U.K. medical data. Since December 2018, when the U.K. began offering licensing agreements to commercial and academic organizations across the globe, the country has raised millions by selling de-identified data.
The patient data being sold to U.S. companies is from general practitioners and hospitals. However, concerns have risen from physicians who claim the data being handed over is not de-identified.
To ensure that patient data is safe, some experts suggest that more control needs to be in place over the sale of data.