Google Wins Appeal Over UK Patient Data Lawsuit

In 2017, the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office ruled that the NHS trust had mishandled patient data by failing to adequately inform patients.

Google has secured a legal victory in the UK as the Court of Appeal dismissed an attempt to revive a lawsuit alleging misuse of patient data.

The case, brought by Royal Free London NHS Trust patient Andrew Prismall, sought to represent 1.6 million people whose medical records were shared with Google’s artificial intelligence firm, DeepMind Technologies, in 2015.

The Royal Free London NHS Trust transferred the data to DeepMind to develop an AI-powered mobile app aimed at detecting kidney injuries.

However, in 2017, the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office ruled that the NHS trust had mishandled patient data by failing to adequately inform patients.

In 2022, Prismall filed a lawsuit against Google and DeepMind, alleging misuse of private information.

However, the High Court dismissed the case last year, stating there was no evidence that all claimants' privacy expectations were violated or that their information was misused.

Prismall’s legal team attempted to appeal the High Court's decision, but the Court of Appeal rejected the bid on Wednesday, upholding the earlier ruling.

While Prismall’s lawyers declined to comment on the outcome, Google has yet to issue a statement regarding the dismissal.

This decision reinforces the earlier judgment that the transfer of medical data, while flawed in execution by the NHS trust, did not substantiate claims of privacy misuse for all affected individuals.

In another development, just days back, Google joined hands with the Andhra Pradesh government to drive the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across critical sectors, focusing on healthcare and sustainability.

Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the partnership aims to implement AI-driven solutions, foster skill development, and bolster the local startup ecosystem.

Google will provide access to its Health AI imaging models via partners and explore the use of generative AI in healthcare through large language models (LLMs).

Additionally, it will support research initiatives under its Health AI Developer Foundations (HAI-DEF) program to enhance healthcare access and outcomes in Andhra Pradesh.

Stay tuned for more such updates on Digital Health News.