Parliamentary Briefing: Trade Bill

House of Lords, Report Stage

The UK is currently transitioning from the European Union (EU), which impacts healthcare provision, clinical trials, research, and innovation. Recently the UK-Japan Agreement on Trade was released, and significant concerns have been raised about digital rights and data. We have written a parliamentary briefing to highlight some key challenges and opportunities for the Government in passing the Bill.

The UK benefits hugely from the NHS and its data, for the utilisation in healthcare service provision, but also for innovation, research, and development. The Bill is an essential addition in our transition from the EU. However, in the Bill, careful consideration is needed to address some of the issues arising from the UK-Japan agreement, particularly to ensure the UK’s rigorous approach to patient safety is not hindered. We highlight issues arising in relation to: health and care data processing services and IT systems; control over, and protection of, NHS data; UK innovation where data is traded internationally; protection of UK intellectual property and concerns about medical device scrutiny; and finally the societal value of NHS data.

Read the full briefing: