Britons' confidential medical records sent to India: Report

LONDON: Under pressure to cut costs, UK's National Health Service is sending millions of patient records and confidential medical notes to India for processing, despite the government's pledge that personal information would not be sent overseas, a media report said on Sunday.

It is the first time that databases of names, addresses and NHS numbers of patients have been sent abroad along with private information about medical appointments, The Sunday Times reported.

The NHS managers, under pressure to cut costs, are implementing the changes despite warnings about poor security in some offshore centres.

The report said seven primary care trusts (PCTS) in northeast London, serving more than 1.5 million people, have begun to send patient details overseas.

The databases are administered by about 200 workers in Pune in Maharashtra, the Times report said.

"Although companies handling the records in India said security was paramount, there is a risk of patients being identified if the NHS numbers are matched with anonymised clinical notes carrying NHS numbers, already being sent to India by more than 30 trusts," the report said.

A set of clinical notes will be based on a consultant's findings during a session with a patient, which he will read into a voice recorder during or after the appointment, the report said.



The recording is then transferred to a computer and sent to India, where it is transcribed.

The report said pilot schemes for NHS offshore transcription services began more than four years ago and have rapidly expanded.

The Royal Free Hospital in London, the Derby Hospitals Trust and the Newham University Hospital Trust are among those sending clinical notes overseas.

Waltham Forest said it took "all appropriate security measures".

The Royal Free confirmed clinical information was sent overseas for processing but said patient names were not included.