Dear Sir/Madam

I have received a letter from the Chief Executive of the redacted PCT, redacted, telling me that my health records are to be computerised unless I choose to opt out.

I am usually keen to promote the appropriate use of of new technologies but I regret to say that in this case I do not wish for my electronic Summary Care Record to be created and I do wish to opt-out of the scheme.

I have first hand experience of incorrect data being recorded on NHS systems about me. In fact, my letter from the Chief Executive arrived with two other identical letters, one for my partner and one addressed or someone I don’t know and who has never lived at my house.

The NHS has a long history of abuse of patients’ data, some recent notable cases being those of Dr Andrew Jamieson and Helen Wilkinson. I have read the work of Professor Ross Anderson, a respected authority on security, who continues to raise significant concerns about the NHS Spine. For further reading I recommend as a start the Rowntree Trust’s publication:

http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/Papers/database-state.pdf

Yours faithfully,