Tom, your comment on the government passing/selling data on to insurance companies reminded me of something. A few years ago I spent a year in Russia as part of my university education. One of the prerequisites back in the old days of the year 2000 in order to get a year-long visa for the Russian Federation was to have passed an HIV test. Luckily I was in the US before I went to Russia and was able to get mine done there, with certificate to prove I was HIV negative but without my details being stored anywhere. Friends of mine who had theirs done in the UK were not so lucky. The fact that they had had the test meant they were an insurance risk and were therefore unable to get any life insurance afterwards as apparently their GPs were obliged to pass the information on to the insurance compnaies if they were asked for it (they were not, however, allowed to pass on the results). I don't know if this has since changed, but it does not have good implications for neutrality and for persuading potentially ill people to voluntarily undergo testing. I am sure other readers will be able to provide more detailed information as this is the point of view of someone in no way related to anything NHS, being as I am a lowly teacher and no longer a UK resident.