The 'Data Debate' is set to run and run - and sadly using the National Insurance (NI) database is not the answer.  Some 81 million NI numbers are in circulation, but there are only 60 million eligible citizens -a 35 per cent duplicate rate.

Yet another government initiative, the new NHS Care Record Service, is set to flounder even before it is implemented.

From June, each NHS Care Record will have a unique NHS number whose purpose is to 'identify and track individual patients wherever they are presenting with symptoms or receiving care'.  But it is officially recognised there are two million more numbers than there are patients.

If the NI example represents a 35 per cent duplicate rate, is the real NHS duplicate rate similar in magnitude?

Why do 20 per cent of UK patients with health problems report experiencing medication or medical errors in the last two years?

While the numbers may be debatable the message is clear. The NHS has a data quality problem it can neither scope, control or eradicate.

Adrian McKeon

Managing Director

Infoshare