Patient records from surgeries across Gedling borough will from today (September 1) start being uploaded to a new system which gathers data held by GPs and feed it into a central NHS database.

The brand-new system called the General Practice Data for Planning and Research, or GPDPR, will then share this data with third parties for research and development.

Patient information – going back over the past 10 years – will be transferred to the database.

Patients were given the opportunity to opt out of sharing their data, with an initial deadline of September 1, but this has since changed.

The electronic database will hold incredibly sensitive data, such as mental health, sexual health and criminal records.

While this data will be made anonymous with unique identification codes, the NHS will be able to access the original data showing patients’ names  – where there is a valid legal reason to do so.

This has raised concerns around privacy, as Ruby Ashby, associate in Nelsons’ expert dispute resolution team, discusses.

According to the NHS, the new system will help to reduce the burden on GP practices, allowing doctors and other staff to focus on patient care, with the data being used to support a wide variety of research and analysis that will help to run and improve services.

The NHS has made it clear that anyone had the right to opt-out if they wished to do so, with an initial cut-off date of September 1.

However, changes have been introduced since then which will allow introduced patients to change their ‘opt-in’ status at any time.

Is GPDPR compliant with data protection legislation?

From a data protection standpoint, it’s necessary to question whether GPDPR conforms with UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) legislation and the Data Protection Act 2018. One concern is that a majority of patients won’t have given their explicit consent to the sharing of data, with many potentially being completely unaware of the plans.

While this is a valid point, it is important to understand that consent is not always required. Consent is only one lawful basis for processing data and there are an additional five that allow an organisation to lawfully process data without consent. As a public body, the NHS will be able to process the data without people’s consent if the processing is regarded as being in the public’s interest.

Another concern is that, while patients will be identified with unique codes, the NHS will be able to access the original data that shows the patients’ names. The use of codes rather than names is known as pseudonymisation. This is a commonly used technique in the processing of data, which means that individuals can’t be identified from the data itself and only by referring to other information held separately.

Therefore, the NHS will need to take care that the additional information that can identify the individual is kept separately, with relevant controls in place, to ensure it’s not possible to re-identify the patient, except for in very specific circumstances as permitted by UK GDPR.

For more information on data protection, please visit https://www.nelsonslaw.co.uk/business-agreements-contracts/data-protection-solicitor/data-breach-compensation/

E10 petrol will from today (September 1) become the ‘standard’ type of unleaded being sold at forecourts across Gedling borough.

The greener fuel has been introduced by government in a bid to reduce vehicle emissions as part of its wider efforts to hit its decarbonisation targets.

But while E10 is a lot greener. it could cause problems for some at the petrol pumps.

Not all cars on our roads can use it, it is expected to make your vehicle less efficient and it will cost every motorists more in fuel bills.

Here’s everything you need to know about the switchover to E10 fuel from today:

What’s E10 fuel? 

The name ‘E10’ is a reference to the ethanol – or bioethanol – mix in the fuel.

In the case of E10, that is 10 per cent, up from a 5 per cent mix from E5 petrol.

The higher the ethanol mix, the greener the fuel.

That’s because the bioethanol content is an alcohol-based product created from the fermentation of a range of plants including sugarcane, cassava and hemp, as well as grains, potato and waste wood. 

Why is E10 being introduced and what are the benefits?

The Government have claimed that the introduction of E10 petrol will cut CO2 emissions by 750,000 tonnes a year.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the ‘small switch’ to E10 petrol will ‘help drivers across the country reduce the environmental impact of every journey, as we build back greener’. 

Doubling the renewable bioethanol mix to 10 per cent also means less fossil fuel is needed in unleaded, which eases the demand on reserves and has environmental benefits. 

Are all petrol-powered vehicles able to run on E10?

No, they are not – and its use can result in long-lasting damage to engine components of vehicles not compatible.

It is estimated that between 600,000 and 700,000 older petrol vehicles on our roads in 2021 are not compatible with E10. 

The Government says the vast majority of these will be classic cars owned by enthusiasts who are already using fuel additives to protect their engines from modern fuel.  

The general rule is that any car registered before 2002 could be at risk if they use E10 petrol and should be checked for compatibility.

‘Over 98 per cent of petrol cars in the UK can run perfectly well on E10, but some older models, classic cars and motorcycles shouldn’t use it,’ according to AA technical specialist, Greg Carter. 

How do I find out if my vehicle is compatible with E10?

Th eGovernment has created an online checker tool which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-e10-petrol

Nearly 80 cases of Coronavirus have been recorded across Gedling borough over the last 24 hours, figures have shown.

The latest figures for Monday, August 30 reveal that 78 new cases were recorded across the borough.

This is an increase from the 54 recorded during the previous day.

In Nottinghamshire 556 new cases were recorded. This was down from 583 the previous day.

Here are the figures for each area:

Ashfield 71 (64)

Bassetlaw 45  (80)

Broxtowe 63 (62)

Gedling 78 (54)

Mansfield 88 (66)

Newark 34 (77)

Nottingham 123 (139)

Rushcliffe 54 (41)