purpose of medical research but also for almost any other purpose the
NHS desires.
Ruth Webb, chairman of the UK Coalition of People Living with HIV and
Aids, said that the changes propose that patients will be regarded as
having given 'implied consent' to the release of their records - including
records they don't even know exist.
She added: "There is already evidence that potentially identifiable
medical information held by GPs is being sold to third parties such as
insurance companies...if patients at HIV and GUM clinics lose confidentiality
they may then avoid coming forward for testing and treatment. This could
mean a huge explosion in sexually transmitted infections and new HIV infections."
Neil Gerrard MP, chairman of the All Party parliamentary Group on Aids,
responded: "The Venereal Diseases Act guarantees that GUM clinics
keep their records confidential and this has been very important in getting
people with HIV to come forward for testing. We need to make sure that
the principle of people using GUM clinics without their details being
shared elsewhere in the health service is maintained."
page 8 of 11
1
/ 2
/ 3
/ 4
/ 5
/ 6
/ 7
/
8 / 9
/ 10
/ 11
contents
of issue 76
back
issues
the
gazette
recipes
small
ads
contacting
us
weblinks
More pregnant women are HIV positive
Latest monitoring of HIV infection in pregnant women shows a big rise
in the capital. In Inner London, the prevalence in pregnant women was
about one in 240 last year
and one in 530 in Outer London, which is the highest rate ever recorded, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
