Doctor invents app to solve data issue

By Leslie Berry

Independent practitioners using instant messaging to discuss patients could face fines of up to 4% of their annual turnover following last month’s introduction of the EU’s General Data Pro­tection Regulation (GDPR), a consultant has warned.

The new legislation prohibits the use of services such as iMessage and WhatsApp for sending messages containing non-anonymised information about patients, as these store data on servers outside of the EU, contravening the new rules.

Mr Neville Dastur with his app which allows messaging to comply with the stricter EU data regulation

Many practitioners like instant messaging’s convenience, particularly when working across multiple locations, as face-to-face contact can be limited and phone calls can interrupt work.