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medConfidential welcomes Wes Streeting’s realisation and admission that he cares more about himself than about NHS patients. Mr Streeting has yet again picked himself, as almost every decision he made in the last 2 years implied he would – the Biobank data scandals being just the latest example.

The forthcoming NHS Half-Measures Bill could be improved by putting on the face of the Bill measures to show patients how the NHS respects their choices on the reuse of their medical records; to see who has accessed their records, and from where; and to use transparency to protect everyone from the next protégé of Mr Mandelson who decides to put himself first.

The NHS Bill could have protected patient data at its announcement – it was a Ministerial decision that it doesn’t, and an amendment can change that.

We would welcome a new Secretary of State who will reassess such decisions, and others like them, unconstrained by their political mentor’s commercial choices.

(we’ll update as the replacement is announced)