The British Medical Association has been accused of undermining a world-leading scientific research programme by refusing to endorse an appeal for GPs to release the medical records of patients who have given consent for their data to be shared.
More than half a million people have joined the UK Biobank, a groundbreaking study set up as a resource for scientists investigating the causes and potential cures for disease.
These patients have given explicit written consent for all their medical records to be provided to the database for health-related research. The data is anonymised to protect the identity of the participants.
However, only a fifth of GPs have agreed to hand over the information they hold, making it harder for the researchers to investigate conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, dementia and asthma.
Last week the UK Biobank, NHS England and the Royal College of GPs wrote to all family doctors in England urging them to approve the release of primary care data for the patients in the programme.