To ask the Minister of Health why databases from national societies are not used to compare surgical procedure outcomes; and whether he is considering any change to the legislation around data transfer in Northern Ireland so that Health and Social Care Trusts can participate fully in valuable UK datasets, enabling the comparison of important outcome data such as morbidity and mortality.

The current legislative and information governance environment in Northern Ireland does not preclude healthcare organisations from sharing non-identifiable information for secondary uses. Therefore I am not considering any change to the legislation around data transfer in Northern Ireland at this time. However the Department and HSC organisations are working to engage with the service to seek to remove perceived barriers to information sharing and clarify any potential confusion about how the current legal and legislative framework should be applied.