Dr Joanne Bailey has been appointed as the new chair of the independent group set up to advise on the use of patient data from GP records.
The General Practice Extraction Service Independent Advisory Group (GPES IAG) advises the Health and Social Care Information Centre on requests for information that could be collected by GPES3, the service that has been developed to collect data from GP practices across England. No data has yet been taken from GP systems via GPES except to enable payments to GP practices to take place4.
The General Practice Extraction Service (GPES) Independent Advisory Group (IAG) was established in 2012 and plays a vital role in ensuring that any data extracted from general practice systems using GPES will deliver benefits for patients whilst protecting patient confidentiality and privacy.
Dr Bailey, who has been an existing member of the GPES IAG since its inception as the nominated representative of the BMA, takes over as chair from Neil Serougi, who is stepping down after two years in the role.
She was nominated by Dame Fiona Caldicott, chair of the Independent Information Governance Oversight Panel. Dr Bailey is an NHS GP and a member of the BMA General Practitioners’ Committee and RCGP Health Informatics Group. She has co-chaired the BMA/RCGP Joint GP IT Committee and has a Masters in healthcare ethics. She has worked with national GP IT programmes since 2004.
Dr Bailey said: “I am delighted to be taking on this role. I intend to ensure that the Independent Advisory Group continues to put at the heart of its decision making the dual aims of protecting patient confidentiality and using data to improve health services and treatments in the future.”
More information about the GPES IAG, including terms of references and minutes of previous meetings can be found online.
