Healthcare Vision, 28 June 2011: 'Privacy First demands halt to go-live SPD'

"The development of a private national Electronic Patient Record (EHR) must stop. So says Privacy First in an open letter to MPs, following the 'go-ahead' for the SPD. Privacy First is an independent foundation aiming to preserve and promote the right to privacy. Reports computable.nl.

"Quite rightly, the Senate recently unanimously rejected the bill to introduce a nationwide SPD, particularly given the enormous privacy risks that this SPD would entail," Privacy First informs. "It is therefore with great concern that Privacy First has since learned of developments indicating a possible 'relaunch' of this same SPD through private, extra-parliamentary channels."

Regional linkage points

In an open letter, Privacy First urges MPs "to call a halt to this development and hold the relevant government minister to account". "After all, in a privacy law sense, in Privacy First's view, the Dutch government remains unabatedly responsible for the privacy breaches that will result from a private EHR, precisely also given the fact that such a system was explicitly rejected by the Senate for privacy reasons." In Privacy First's view, the National Switch Point (LSP) of the L-EPD "should be converted to small-scale regional systems in line with the Senate's wishes. For regional exchange, an LSP is unnecessary: after all, regional switching points (RSPs) suffice for that purpose, possibly supplemented by supra-regional push communication." (Source)