To protect privacy it is better to use or disclose anonymised data than personal data. It is possible to disclose anonymised data without breaching the Data Protection Act.

Is anonymised data confidential?

Data that have been anonymised are considered to be out of scope of GDPR. It is worth noting that the act of anonymisation is processing personal data. The term 'confidential patient information' is defined in law. It includes patient information to which a duty of confidentiality is owed under common law.

Is anonymised data subject to GDPR?

Fully 'anonymised' data does not meet the criteria necessary to qualify as personal data and is therefore not subject to the same restrictions placed on the processing of personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Data can be considered 'anonymised' when individuals are no longer identifiable.