Responding to reports in the media that 'GPs and hospitals will be ordered to share patient data under NHS bill'

The BMA GPs committee chair Dr Katie Bramall said: "GPC England has not been part of the discussions on what form the Single Patient Record will take, who will be granted access, the purposes for which it will be used, or which company will be contracted to operate it. 

"There are already existing mechanisms that allow those in secondary care to view the live GP record, and therefore, the Government needs to explain why an additional system is needed. Until the security of any data flows can be guaranteed, and full patient-facing audit trails are made available via the NHS App showing who has accessed confidential medical data and why, we remain concerned.

"We also remind patients that they can exercise their right to opt out of secondary uses of their confidential medical data by visiting the NHS website."

Ends.

Notes to editors

From 1 May 2026, GP practices across England are being urged by the BMA to take part in collective action. This follows insufficient assurances from the Government regarding widespread concern over the national 2026/27 contract that was imposed on members and rejected by 99% of BMA GP members. 

For collective action, the BMA is recommending practices focus on the sharing of GP patient data outside practices, in the form of practice data sharing agreements (DSAs). The proposed action for practices to take collectively is lawful and likely to be welcomed by patient groups keen for greater transparency of data sharing in light of developments with third party organisations such as Palantir and widely reported data security breaches across organisations such as UKBiobank. 

The BMA is a professional association and trade union representing and negotiating on behalf of all doctors in the UK. A leading voice advocating for outstanding health care and a healthy population. An association providing members with excellent individual services and support throughout their lives.