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.Confidential medical records 'placed online by Labour Government rush , without patient consent'.
Patients' confidential medical records are being placed online by Labour Government in it's final pre election rush without their consent, it emerged last night.
The Labour run Government has been accused of rushing through a scheme to upload patients' records onto the NHS £11billion database amid repeated criticism over security fears.
One of the largest IT projects of its kind in the world, the system will eventually hold the private records of more than 50 million patients.
But there are widespread fears that the information held on it will not be safe from hackers.
Patients who do not wish to have their details on the system are supposed to be able to opt out by informing health authorities or Doctor.
But due to a sleazy Labour run Government push to rush the project through, patients' have had their details uploaded before they have had a chance to object.
The British Medical Association has written to the Government to voice its 'serious concerns' and to call for parts of the NHS IT programme to be suspended.
It follows allegations that the Labour run Government wanted to complete the project before the Conservatives had a chance to cancel it.
Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the BMA, said: 'The break-neck speed with which this programme is being implemented is of huge concern.
'Patients' right to opt out is crucial, and it is extremely alarming that records are apparently being created without them being aware of it.
'If the process continues to be rushed, not only will the rights of patients be damaged, but the limited confidence of the public and the medical profession in NHS IT will be further eroded.'
The IT system will eventually link more than 30,000 GPs to nearly 300 hospitals through an online appointments system (Choose and Book), a centralised medical records system for 50 million patients, e-prescriptions and faster computer network links.
In December, the Department of Health announced that the roll-out of the records system - the Summary Care Record (SCR) - would be accelerated.
Patients can opt out of having a record created but the BMA believes they are not being given enough details to make an informed choice.
Some GPs have told the BMA records are being created even without implied consent from patients.
In the letter to health minister Mike O'Brien, the BMA called for further independent evaluation of pilot schemes set up to test the records system.
Katherine Murphy, director of the Patients Association, said: 'The health service should not put in place bureaucratic obstacles to patient choice because they are worried about what patients might choose to do.
'The BMA's concerns should be addressed immediately and we agree that every patient whose records are going to be uploaded should be sent an opt-out form.
'There is a real danger that an initiative that will benefit patients is going to turn into the usual complete mess.
'Many patients are rightly concerned about their confidentiality and consent and if there is even the slightest impression that this is being pushed through it will generate a feeling of mistrust.'
Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman, called for the scheme to be scrapped.
'The Labour run Government needs to end its obsession with massive central databases', he said.
'The NHS IT scheme has been a disastrous waste of money and the national programmed should be abandoned.'
At present 1.29 million people have had their details placed on the system.
A further 8.9 million records are due to be added by June. By the end of next year, the NHS hopes to have more than 50 million uploaded.
