The National Data Guardian has written to the Minister for Health Innovation at the Department of Health and Social Care about trust in the NHS Federated Data Platform.
Applies to England
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The National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care, Dr Nicola Byrne, has written to the Minister for Health Innovation, James Frith MP, advising on the importance of public and professional trust in decisions about the future of the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP).
The letter draws on evidence from research, public and professional views, independent scrutiny and the National Data Guardian’s ongoing engagement with the FDP programme.
The advice focuses on three areas:
- Give public and professional trust substantial weight when evaluating suppliers of systems involving health and care data.
- Ensure decisions are supported by clear, objective evidence of benefits and limitations, communicated transparently, within a culture that is open to challenge.
- Address concerns about interoperability, vendor lock-in and data sovereignty, including consideration of open standards and open-source technology.
The National Data Guardian strongly supports the ambitions of the FDP programme to improve health and care through better use of data. Her advice is intended to inform decisions about the platform’s future, in keeping with her statutory remit, and does not recommend a particular contractual outcome.