The controversial upload of GP practice data to a research database has been paused following threats of legal action and complaints about lack of public awareness, it has been announced.

The upload is now due to take place on 1 September rather than 1 July, NHS Digital said. It had faced legal action from privacy campaigners backed by the Doctors’ Association – while GP organisations had called for a delay while patients are informed of their right to opt out.

NHS Digital chief executive Simon Bolton said: “Data saves lives and has huge potential to rapidly improve care and outcomes, as the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has shown. The vaccine rollout could not have been delivered without effective use of data to ensure it reached the whole population. We are absolutely determined to take people with us on this mission. We take our responsibility to safeguard the data we hold incredibly seriously. We intend to use the next two months to speak with patients, doctors, health charities and others to strengthen the plan even further.”

Dr Farah Jameel, IT lead of the British Medical Association GP committee, said: “Today’s announcement is an important win for patients, family doctors and the BMA. Along with the RCGP, we made it abundantly clear to both the Government and NHS Digital1 that this programme needed to be delayed to allow for a proper in-depth public information campaign to give the public a chance to make an informed decision about whether they want their data collected as part of the new GP data extraction programme.”

Dr Jameel added: “We know from our members that many family doctors feel that all their patients may not yet know what’s changing, and many practices do not believe that they themselves have been given the right level of information nor adequate time to comprehensively understand the programme, its merits and the safeguards it will operate within. It’s clear that previous communications from NHS Digital on this programme has, frankly, been either inadequate or non-existent.”

Royal College of GPs chair Professor Martin Marshall said: “It is essential that this time is used to properly communicate with the public and with clinicians so that patients and GPs have trust in the programme. In principle, improved and more secure sharing of data for healthcare planning and research purposes is a good thing. We have seen during the COVID-19 pandemic just how important the appropriate use of GP patient data is in responding to a health crisis, but it is also important in normal times to plan for better overall service provision and public health strategies, and enhanced understanding of diseases and treatments for serious illness. We want to see a comprehensive campaign, led by NHS Digital and accessible to all members of the public, which should include every patient being communicated individually with, clearly articulating the benefits and risks of data sharing so that patients can make a genuinely informed decision about whether they are happy for their data to be shared – and if they are not, how they can opt out.”