It appears you have not yet registered with our community. To register please click here...

 
Go Back [M] > Madshrimps > WebNews
David Cameron announces plans for genetic database David Cameron announces plans for genetic database
FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read


David Cameron announces plans for genetic database
Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 11th December 2012, 07:35   #1
[M] Reviewer
 
Stefan Mileschin's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Romania
Posts: 148,055
Stefan Mileschin Freshly Registered
Default David Cameron announces plans for genetic database

A £100 million project which will see DNA information of 100,000 cancer patients mapped out in a database has raised concerns among advocates - with Big Brother Watch declaring it "wholly wrong".

The plans, outlined by David Cameron, will be worked on over the next five years, and could one day hold the genetic details of every British citizen.

The Prime Minister claimed that this will "push the boundaries" of science and introduce genetic sequencing for the first time by "unlocking the power of DNA data".

But the UK's genome plan has also raised concerns that the data could be used to create commercial deals with organisations such as drug companies. There are also fears that people with access to the database could use the genetic codes to identify and track every individual on it, and their relatives.

Cameron's office has said that the genome sequencing will be entirely voluntary and patients will be able to opt out without affecting their NHS care.

As the Conservative-Lib Dem Coalition has faced criticism that it is in the process of dismantling the NHS to an extent never seen before, Cameron announced the £100 million funding will come from existing NHS budgets. It will initially be spent on training scientists and creating secure systems to handle the information.

Nick Pickles, director of privacy and civil liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch, told TechEye that the NHS should not be treated as a government asset, and assurances on anonymity have not been exemplary.

"Whatever happened to putting patients in charge of their medical information? If private companies want access to our medical records then they should ask," Pickles said. "It's wholly wrong for this to be an opt-out scheme when the implications for privacy are so clear."

Mr Pickles added: "NHS data isn't a government asset, it's details of our illnesses, treatments and hugely personal information. Assurances of anonymity have been demonstrated to be hollow in other countries and it's only a matter of time before insurance companies or marketing companies try to use the data."

Despite making assurances that the data would be "completely anonymised before it is stored", Pickles warned that the government must listen to a wide range of voices, "including patient and privacy groups, to prevent policy being developed purely to appease big pharmaceutical companies".

"It's not clear whether this policy has fully taken into account the very real privacy concerns sharing large volumes of patient information entails," Pickles said.

http://news.techeye.net/internet/dav...netic-database
Stefan Mileschin is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
David Kanter dissects Haswell Stefan Mileschin WebNews 0 15th November 2012 08:13
Intel electrocutes David Blaine Stefan Mileschin WebNews 0 11th October 2012 08:10
Road Map of Genetic Diseases Unlocked by DNA Database Stefan Mileschin WebNews 0 10th September 2012 07:53
Has James Cameron moved to Pandora? Stefan Mileschin WebNews 0 30th July 2012 09:40
Cameron calls for internet porn ban Stefan Mileschin WebNews 0 29th June 2012 07:32
James Cameron to create sparks with Robogeddon on Discovery Channel Stefan Mileschin WebNews 0 11th April 2012 09:45
Razer Announces Plans to Unveil Left-Handed Naga Stefan Mileschin WebNews 0 2nd April 2012 08:24
GeIL DAViD 100 Series Dual Channel USB Pen Drive jmke WebNews 0 23rd January 2006 20:12
David vs Goliath - FX5900 PCI-E vs AGP Gaming Comparison jmke WebNews 0 7th October 2004 17:18
Micron Announces Plans to Produce NAND Flash Memory Sidney WebNews 0 6th July 2004 06:42

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 15:11.


Powered by vBulletin® - Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO