Oh fuck.
I don’t even need to follow the link, such is the symbolic power imbued in the string ATOS.
The form leaflet I was sent about this (entitled Better information means better care) so reinforces the positive idea I had about sharing medical data for the purpose of advancing knowledge (aren’t I the nice person, toot toot) that it never occurred to me that it might be a good idea to at least give some consideration to the idea of opting out.
It would be a terrible thing of huge numbers of people did choose to opt out. It would make research so much more difficult.
Yet I feel we have to opt out. The way you do this at least involves talking to people (your GPs) - they’ve not made it as easy as ticking a box on a form - so you kind of get your day in court. It’s the only way to send a message to the poisonous toads who have wrecked our community of care. NHS is now only a brand name, as somebody once said [citation needed].
OTOH if huge numbers of opt-outs happen, los poderosos will re-interpret, re-spin, that message as they see fit, because nobody believes they’re the bad guys, so I think ‘what the hell, may as well do nothing (and stay opted in)’.
When you’re in a dilemma like this, you know you’re in the real world.
