Medical records to be given to DWP to check whether people who claimed benefits were able to work

Doctors' outcry over plan to sell patient records - Telegraph: "Confidential patient records could be passed from the NHS to government departments and private companies, leading to a 'disastrous impact' on public health, medical organisations have warned.

by Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor
Last Updated: 6:33AM GMT 03 Mar 2009
Government plans, contained in the Coroners and Justice Bill, would allow almost unlimited access to medical records of named individuals without their consent.
Under the proposals, patient information held by GPs, health centres, pharmacists and hospitals could be passed to insurance companies or research organisations. The data could also be given to other government departments, such as the Department for Work and Pensions to check whether people who claimed benefits were able to work."