NHS patient data may be used for AI training by private companies

NHS patient data may be used for AI training by private companies

The government is considering plans to allow NHS patient data to be used for research and profit by private companies as part of an artificial intelligence (AI) push.

Ministers announced that AI will be ‘mainlined into the veins’ of the UK with significant investment into computing. Prime minister Keir Starmer said: ‘The AI industry needs a government that is on their side, one that won’t sit back and let opportunities slip through its fingers.

‘And in a world of fierce competition, we cannot stand by. We must move fast and take action to win the global race.’

As part of these plans, a new National Data Library will be created to ‘safely and securely unlock the value of public data and support AI development’. This would allow private companies to use anonymised NHS data to train AI models and develop new treatments and tools.

The prime minister said: ‘We are in a unique position in this country, because we’ve got the National Health Service, and the use of that data has already driven forward advances in medicine, and will continue to do so.

‘We have to see this as a huge opportunity that will impact on the lives of millions of people really profoundly.’

NHS patient data has previously been used to develop AI models to assist in diagnosing conditions such as high blood pressure.

The government hopes the plans will make the UK ‘irresistible to AI firms’.

Chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves said: ‘This action plan is the government’s modern industrial strategy in action. Attracting AI businesses to the UK, bringing in new investment, creating new jobs and turbocharging our plan for change.

‘This means better living standards in every part of the United Kingdom and working people have more money in their pocket.’

Will the data remain anonymous?

However, experts have expressed concerns about the use of patient information for these purposes. For example Andrew Duncan, director of foundational AI at the Alan Turing Institute, questioned the feasibility of keeping data anonymous.

Speaking to The Guardian, he said: ‘Once you start to narrow things down you can start to re-identify people easily.’

Anonymised data is not covered by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), meaning the government can legally share the NHS data. The government has not confirmed whether the 6% of patients who have opted out their of their data being used for research and planning will be included within health data sets.

Keir Starmer acknowledged concerns around data privacy. He said: ‘It is important that we keep control of that data. I completely accept that challenge, and we will also do so, but I don’t think that we should have a defensive stance here that will inhibit the sort of breakthroughs that we need.’

Entrepreneur Matt Clifford has been appointed as advisor to the prime minister on AI opportunities. He said: ‘AI offers opportunities we can’t let slip through our fingers, and these steps put us on the strongest possible footing to ensure AI delivers in all corners of the country, from building skills and talent to revolutionising our infrastructure and computer power.’

Follow Dentistry.co.uk on Instagram to keep up with all the latest dental news and trends.

Favorite
Get the most out of your membership by subscribing to Dentistry CPD
  • Access 600+ hours of verified CPD courses
  • Includes all GDC recommended topics
  • Powerful CPD tracking tools included
Register for webinar
Share
Add to calendar