The witnesses at the first session, Phil Booth, Co-ordinator, medConfidential, Nick Pickles, Director, Big Brother Watch, Sharmila Nebhrajani, Chief Executive, Association of Medical Research Charities, Professor Peter Weissberg, Medical Director, British Heart Foundation, and Dr Chand Nagpaul, Chair, British Medical Association General Practitioners Committee, make a whole host of valid points.
The witnesses at the second session, Dr Daniel Poulter MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health, Tim Kelsey, National Director for Patients and Information, NHS England, and Max Jones, Director of Information and Data Services, Health and Social Care Information Centre, don't inspire confidence.
Glyn Wintle's and Ben Goldacre's Twitter streams on the day are a good place to start until the transcript is made available.
Q: Can patients check they have opted out? Tim Kelsey National Director for Patients and Information: Will get back to you on that #caredata
— glynwintle (@glynwintle) February 25, 2014
well, that’s me out, in more ways than one. more to come soon. i am truly staggered by what I’ve just seen from @HSCIC #caredata
— ben goldacre (@bengoldacre) February 25, 2014
Ben's for entertainment value as well as insight...
AAAAARARRGGGGHH AAARRGAGRGRGGHRHGAGHRHGAHGRHGGGH so @HSCIC have been allowed to hide all this http://t.co/5xPQ3dbTN3 MY GOD #caredata
— ben goldacre (@bengoldacre) February 25, 2014
oh COME ON health committee. HSCIC + NHSIC are all the same ppl, they have the paperwork, make them hand it over! #caredata @drwollastonmp
— ben goldacre (@bengoldacre) February 25, 2014if u’ve read my books, u’ll know there is *nothing* more important to healthcare than better data. these clowns will kill with incompetence
— ben goldacre (@bengoldacre) February 25, 2014
