Through the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the NHS in England, the UK government is currently holding an open consultation on their "Data Access Policy." This represents a significant and necessary step forward in the use of data for healthcare, and as members of the global engineering community, our insights, feedback, and perspectives are crucial to this process.

I encourage you to review the open consultation via this link Data access policy update: proposed draft - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and provide your thoughts and suggestions on this open consultation.

For convenience and clarity, I have clustered vital areas that require careful consideration: 

1) Data, Security and Privacy:

• How can we enhance the current encryption methodologies to make SDEs more secure?
• How can we ensure data anonymisation, pseudonymisation, or other privacy measures are effective?
• Are there opportunities to integrate emerging technologies for improved security?
• How can we balance the need for data access with the need for privacy and confidentiality?

2) Data Governance:

• What principles should guide the formation of Data Access Committees to ensure fair representation and diversity?
• How can we construct data governance frameworks that remain adaptive to technological advances and emerging ethical considerations?
• What mechanisms can be implemented to monitor and enforce compliance with governance standards?

3) Patient and Public Engagement:

• How can we design systems that effectively engage the public and patients in decision-making processes?
• How can we communicate complex technical concepts about data use and security to the public in an accessible way?
• What educational initiatives could support a greater public understanding of data privacy and consent?
• How can we ensure patient and public feedback is incorporated into system development and policy changes?

4) Research and External Uses:

• How can we design data access systems that make data usable for researchers while maintaining security and privacy?
• How can we streamline data-sharing procedures for external entities without compromising privacy standards?
• What are the potential challenges external users may face, and how can we overcome these?
• What safeguards are needed to prevent misuse of data by external entities?

5) Transparency:

• How can we leverage technology to enhance the transparency of data usage to the public?
• Can distributed ledger technologies or similar systems play a role in auditing and recording data access and usage?
• What reporting structures could enable effective oversight of data usage?
• How can we ensure transparency around decision-making processes in Data Access Committees?

6) Data Sharing Cut-off and Transition Period:

• What technical challenges might arise during the transition to exclusive SDE usage, and how can we mitigate these?
• How can we ensure data access is not disrupted during the transition period?
• How should we communicate the cut-off date and transition plans to the public and stakeholders?
• What technical support or resources might organisations need during this transition?

As part of the engineering community, our insights, innovative perspectives, and technical expertise can significantly shape the future of data access in healthcare. I would once again like to encourage everyone who can contribute to participate in this open consultation, and together, we can help create a data access policy that is secure, transparent, and ultimately beneficial to patient outcomes. If you prefer, you may also share your responses privately with me at nmoreira@theiet.org

Now, more than ever, your voice matters. Let's ensure it echoes in the corridors of healthcare policy development.