NI GPs report survey concerns

Grassroots GPs in Northern Ireland have reported widespread concern from patients about their data being passed to research company Ipsos MORI for a patient satisfaction survey.

Doctors at Northern Ireland’s Local Medical Committees’ conference called on their representatives to explore the concerns of patients with the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.

However, the DHSSPS said that patient data was passed to a third party as part of arrangements agreed with the BMA’s General Practitioner Committee for the GP Patient Survey.

Dr Brian Patterson, a GP from Portglenone and chairman of the BMA’s Northern Ireland Council, told representatives that patients were alarmed that identifiable information, for example names, address and dates of birth were passed to MORI to undertake a nationwide patient satisfaction survey.

Dr Patterson said “I was accused by two patients that I had personally handed over their details in order for them to be surveyed, and discussion with my colleagues has shown that complaints such as these were widespread.”

“While information contained on a patient’s medical card can be used to administer services, this does not extend to allowing private companies to make use of the data.

"I would like to reassure patients throughout Northern Ireland that GPs take their role as data controllers very seriously, and do not pass on patient details to private companies. GPs are concerned that government is making identifiable patient data available for use by third parties."

GPs will now take these concerns to DHSSPS officials as a result of the debate at the LMCs’ conference.

A spokesperson for the DHSSPS told EHI Primary Care: “The Department takes its obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998 very seriously and an approved Data Processing Agreements were signed with a third party to process the GP Patient Survey by all the four UK Health Departments, which included posting the survey and reminders to patient’s home addresses.

"GPs representing Northern Ireland BMA GPC members were part of the negotiations at a national level that agreed to the GP Survey taking place in Northern Ireland.

"The BMA is also a member of the GP Patient Survey Stakeholder Review Group and is kept fully informed and consulted on the content and operation of the GP survey."