GP Data Collection

Patient data held in GP medical records of patients is used every day to improve healthcare services through planning and research in England, helping to find better treatments and improve patient care.

It helps to decide what new health and care services are required in a local area, informs clinical guidance and policy, and supports researching and developing cures for serious illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

NHS Digital has developed a new way to collect this data, called the General Practice Data for Planning and Research data collection.

Following on from patient enquiries about NHS Digital and data sharing, we thought it may be helpful to provide some key information and links to help you with decision making.

Although, information about your health and care helps the NHS to improve your individual care, speed up diagnosis, plan your local services and research new treatments, you still have the option to decline sharing data that goes beyond the provision of your direct care.

Have a look at Your Confidential Record section on our website for further details.

Further Information is available on the NHS Digital website