A survey commissioned by the Health Foundation of more than 7,000 members of the public aged 16 years and older, shows a majority were willing to share data on areas such as their eye health (59%), medicines they are taking (58%) and any long-term illnesses they live with (57%).

However, the results found less willingness to share some types of data, with only 47% willing to share smart phone tracked data such as sleep activity and 44% willing to share sexual health information.

The polling also revealed differences in willingness to share data between socioeconomic groups. Notably, people from socioeconomic groups D and E are significantly less likely to support the use of any of their health data for AI development than people from other socioeconomic groups. For example, while 16% of people from socioeconomic group A are not happy for any of their health data to be used, this compares with 39% of people from socioeconomic group E.

The wide-ranging polling also found:

• The public is hesitant about technologies that might be seen to ‘distance' patients from healthcare staff or come between them, such as care robots. People named the ability to see and talk to NHS staff as their most important consideration when thinking about technology use in healthcare, with older people particularly concerned about this (39%).
• Public trust in the NHS holding personal health data is strong, despite debates in the media about data security and previous data controversies. Around two-thirds of the public were found to have either high or moderate levels of trust in the NHS with their health data.

Dr Malte Gerhold, director of innovation and improvement at the Health Foundation, said: ‘It is only with the public's support that the government will successfully achieve its ambition of shifting the NHS from analogue to digital.

‘It is encouraging that most people are open to sharing their data to develop AI systems in the NHS. When properly implemented, we know that AI has the potential to free up staff by supporting clinical and administrative tasks. However, these systems are only as good as the data used to design and develop them.'

Dr Gerhold added: ‘Policymakers, NHS leaders and those involved in designing and implementing health care technologies must proactively engage with people across different social groups to ensure that health care technologies help tackle inequalities, rather than worsen them.'