Data protection law to be reformed — again

The current UK law on data protection has been around for some five years now. Put in place following the implementation of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Government is seeking to reform the legal framework through the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill (DPDI).

The bill is the culmination of a process which began with a public consultation back in 2021; it was first introduced in July 2022 but never got off the ground. With clinics holding much private information on both residents and staff, the move to change the law will affect their operation.

Kevin Modiri, a partner and solicitor at a law firm called Nelsons, says that the original bill was postponed after former prime minister, Liz Truss, took office. However, he details that last October (2022) the Government reported that it would revive the bill. Modiri comments that the bill ‘is not a replacement of the GDPR but a refinement to allow greater certainty for individuals along with a clarification of certain aspects of the existing framework’.