Google given access to healthcare data of up to 1.6 million patients

Artificial intelligence firm DeepMind provided with patient information as part of agreement with Royal Free NHS trust

A company owned by Google has been given access to the healthcare data of up to 1.6 million patients from three hospitals run by a major London NHS trust.

DeepMind, the tech giant’s London-based company most famous for its innovative use of artificial intelligence, is being provided with the patient information as part of an agreement with the Royal Free NHS trust, which runs the Barnet, Chase Farm and Royal Free hospitals.

It includes information about people who are HIV-positive as well as details of drug overdoses, abortions and patient data from the past five years, according to a report by the New Scientist.

DeepMind announced in February that it was developing a software in partnership with NHS hospitals to alert staff to patients at risk of deterioration and death through kidney failure. Continue reading...





Published By - Theguardian.com - Tech News, Politics news, UK and world political comment and analysis: Wednesday 4 May 2016 00.34 BST

Harm patients? Junior doctors are striking to protect them

Public trust is vital for junior doctors, and we’re confident we won’t lose it by rejecting the imposition of this contract by Jeremy Hunt

Next week Britain’s junior doctors will stage a full walkout for the first time in the history of the NHS. It would be disingenuous to deny this will have consequences for trust. Accusations are already flying that junior doctors, blind to the corrosive power of mistrust, are prepared to trade their patients’ belief in them for self-interest. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Trust is a doctor’s greatest asset, and it is critical to good care. Without trust, compliance with treatment falls, and patients think twice about seeking help. Polls show that the strikes haven’t much damaged that trust so far. But will public support wane during a full strike? The General Medical Council, our professional regulator, has said doctors should not strike in hard-hit hospitals in case patients suffer harm.

Published By - Theguardian.com - Sports New, LifeStyle News, Politics news, UK and world political comment and analysis: Tuesday 19 April 2016 18.25 BST