National data sharing – an ambitious aim unlikely to be achieved
Computer Business Review carries a thoughtful article based on an analysis from Butler Group’s Sarah Burnett:
Recent reports have suggested that the UK government is planning to create a super database to hold citizens’ details. Meanwhile, UK prime minister Tony Blair has denied the super database idea, but is planning to share data at a national level anyway.
It concludes:
Data sharing on a national scale is going to be very challenging, with many data quality and integrity issues and barriers. Such an ambitious aim is unlikely to be achieved. A different approach would be to learn from the private sector, and deliver service modernization at a more local level, without driving a coach and horses through much-needed privacy protection laws.
