Let drug firms access NHS data, says ex-Tory minister

A former cabinet minister has called for drug companies to get easier access to NHS data.

- KATE DEVLIN

Greg Clark, who was the business secretary under Theresa May, has backed a report that says the move would save lives and give the country’s finances a multibillion-pound boost. It calls for firms to be able to see anonymised raw details – which would not reveal patients’ private information. But the call will prove controversial, amid warnings that the data could fall into the wrong hands.

Mr Clark said the UK “cannot hope to compete on the international stage without… the right policies”.

The NHS has access to some of the most comprehensive sets of health-related data in the world, with more than 60 million registered patients. Pharmaceutical firms believe its sheer size could allow them to uncover patterns that could potentially open up new types of treatments.