Allowing data linkage

Following support from the NHS Health Research Authority, the Children of the 90s uses an ‘opt out’ approach to linking to data from other sources, including the NHS, primary care (GPs), the Department for Education and other official records. This means you are provided materials explaining data Linkage (view here), and you are clearly and openly informed that we are going to link to your data unless you tell us not to.

This is reflective of the National Data Opt-Out approach used by the NHS (view here), which allows a patient to choose if they do not want their confidential patient information to be used for purposes beyond their individual care and treatment - for research and planning, otherwise data can be shared (within, of course, strict legal, ethical and security parameters).

Over 5% of the UK population have exercised their right to the National Data Opt-Out. If this includes you, then this means we cannot access your data unless you provide us with specific consent. If a person has agreed to a specific use of data (e.g. Children of the 90s), after being fully informed, then the national data opt-out does not apply. Even people who have registered a national data opt-out can agree to take part in Children of the 90s, by giving explicit consent, so please consider opting in by completing our data linkage consent form.