NEWS

Bulletin
To download your copy of the latest Bulletin click here.

IMPORTANT - NHS Digital - by Ameen Kamlana.
GP practices in England have been instructed to hand over their patients’ entire medical histories with just six weeks’ notice. Like many GPs, I’m very concerned about the implications this has for my patients. A growing number of us in London have taken the decision to pull the plug on the new data-sharing programme with NHS Digital and refuse to hand over patient records.

This data grab is unwarranted, unparalleled in its scale and implications and quite possibly unlawful. Yet NHS Digital, acting at the government’s request, has downplayed the significance of the move. There has been no public awareness campaign, so you’d be forgiven for not knowing that your consent is assumed, or that you have only until 23 June to opt out from having your GP data extracted.

What this means in practice is that all your GP interactions, starting from the time you were born (and including many of the most intimate details of your life) are at risk of being indirectly sold to corporations. To be specific, your GP data includes details of physical, mental and sexual health, drug and alcohol history, and any family and work-related problems that you thought you’d disclosed in confidence. What’s worse, your personal information will not be fully anonymous, meaning it is relatively easily identifiable as yours (you can opt out after 23 June, but NHS Digital holds on to whatever data it has obtained, and still makes it available to third parties).

To read more on this from the Guardian, click here and for BBC coverage, click here. To opt-out, have your NHS number handy and click here.

In response, the NHS says: the data will be used for planning and research purposes only. Each application to use it will need approval from advisory groups. It may not be used "solely" for commercial purposes. But some private-sector organisations will be able to see it, with permission. And critics point to the controversial involvement of US data company Palantir in the analysis of other NHS data. The firm - sometimes described as the "scariest" of America's tech giants - is known for supplying data-sifting software to government agencies.

LATEST UPDATE: The UK government has conducted an embarrassing climbdown by agreeing to delay the implementation of NHS Digital's controversial grab of GP patient data by two months. Jo Churchill, under-secretary for health and social care, told MPs in Parliament that the date for the extraction of data from GP systems under General Practice Data for Planning and Research programme would be pushed back from 1 July to 1 September this year.

"We have decided we will proceed with the important programme, but we will take some extra time, as we have conversed with stakeholders over the past couple of days," Churchill said.

In order to opt out now, you must complete the "Type 1 opt-out" form and send it to your GP surgery before 1 September.

If you register a Type 1 Opt-out after 1st September, no more of your data will be shared with the new NHS Digital database, but you can't withdraw any data that it already has. That will remain and be available to third parties.

History Group
The Inkpen History Group has a new home at history.inkpenvillage.co.uk. The site contains photos, maps and a wide variety of documents. If you have items, whatever the condition, that you think will be relevant to the group, please contact them at historygroup@inkpenvillage.co.uk

Email and Phone Scams
There are always people out to exploit the vulnerable, especially at times where peoples attention is diverted to other matters of harm. A number of Covid19 related phishing emails have been reported to Action Fraud. These emails and texts attempt to trick you into opening malicious attachments which could lead to fraudsters stealing your personal information, logins, passwords, or banking details. If you get emails that you aren't sure about, or unknown people phone you or knock on your door, ignore it and please seek advice - go to ActionFraud. If you are using electronic devices that don't have up-to-date virus protection, please get it fixed - if in doubt, talk to one of the helper listed on the News page. A range of current scams, including track and trace scams, is listed on the News page.

You might receive a call, text or email offering the COVID-19 vaccine. If you’re asked to provide payment or bank details, please don’t respond – it’s a scam. The NHS will never ask you for payment, bank account details, passwords or passcodes.

Going for a walk
If you want a breath of fresh air and some exercise, check out the Inkpen walks, but keep your distance from others, that's at least 6 feet apart in old money. If you feel that you should wear a face mask when outdoors, then checkout the design given on the News page.

Also on the news page this month there are a number of updates including from the Inkpen Primary School and pre-school, from the Playing field trust and Village Hall, and there's this months Police Report .

Climate change issues.  A video from down-under. Is this what we have become?


Climate issues haven't gone away and don't deserve a lesser priority even now. Climate change IS a pandemic just as much as COVID 19 is. The parish council is engaged in re-wilding and tree planting, but that isn't enough. All residents need to play their part. We urge you to get involved with this now.

United Nations reports over the last decade have warned that the world must turn towards healthy plant based diets if climate change is to be stopped. Tree planting is a brilliant solution to tackle climate change and protect biodiversity, but the wrong tree in the wrong place can do more harm than good, say experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The rules include protecting existing woodland first and involving locals.