Policy

Only a minority of biobanks have a publicly available access policy

A recent study has found that only around 9% of biobanks have a publicly available access policy. Given that most biobanks are funded by the public, there is an expectation that the samples they contain are made available for external research purposes that could ultimately have a social benefit. But for this to happen, clear access policies need to govern the conditions under which samples can be used for external… Read More »Only a minority of biobanks have a publicly available access policy

Proposed changes to data security and consent in the healthcare system

Proposed changes to data security and consent in the healthcare system In September 2015, the Secretary of State for Health commissioned an intensive review of how personal data is used within the healthcare system. This called for recommendations to be made on improving data security and developing a new, clear opt-out and consent model for how a patient’s data can be used. In June the results of this review were… Read More »Proposed changes to data security and consent in the healthcare system