The advance of medical science has been a wonder of the modern world. There has never been a greater benefit to human welfare than that provided by the 20th century increase in life expectancy.
The intelligence that sparked that progress is not yet spent. The understanding of diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s is improving and treatment is becoming more effective. It is therefore a cause for concern that European legislation on data protection should threaten that progress.
In a letter to The Times today, representatives of the big health research bodies in Europe, including the Wellcome Trust and the