The Guardian writes on its front page on how personal medical records are to be uploaded regardless of patients' wishes to a central national database which can be accessed by a huge number of NHS staff and from where the information can be made available to police and security services There is also a lack of safeguards once a patient's data is saved to the system.
This is an explicit move towards a more controlling state that secretly collects people's medical records to use for an unclear puropse. It is said that it would be for the protection of national security and in instances of serious crime. However, the purposes given will allow leeway for accessing confidential medical information at the touch of a button.
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Civil liberties yes, but picking losers ?
It's a huge civil liberties issue, but is it picking losers? Do we all suffer equally from this threat? And if some are under more threat than others, is it those with something to hide that suffer the most, and is that a case where it is appropriate for government to pick losers? Unless you are an anarchist, you probably count law and order as within the legitimate remit of the state, and it is inevitable that the state must pick losers (i.e. criminals) to provide an effective system of law and order.
Nevertheless, I agree this is wrong. We should proceed from an assumption that government starts with no rights to information about us, and hand over only as much as society agrees is necessary for the government to carry out its duties on our behalf. Though the central coordination of this information will probably be useful, it is not essential to the government's fundamental duties, and should therefore require our individual consents. Personally, I would give my consent, because I think I am more likely to benefit in a medical emergency than I am to suffer from illicit use of the information. But others might feel differently, and should have the right to make that decision (in the full awareness that it might impact their treatment in a future emergency).
Still not sure it's a pickinglosers type of story, though.