Mishcon de Reya is acting for Mr Andrew Prismall on behalf of approximately 1.6 million individuals in a new representative action in the High Court of Justice of England & Wales against Google and DeepMind Technologies for the unlawful use of patients’ confidential medical records.
The claim is for the misuse of private information and arises out of an arrangement formed in 2015 between Google and DeepMind and the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. The tech companies obtained and used a substantial number of confidential medical records without patients' knowledge or consent.
Mr Prismall said: “I hope that this case can achieve a fair outcome and closure for the many patients whose confidential records were - without the patients’ knowledge - obtained and used by these large tech companies.”
Ben Lasserson, Partner at Mishcon de Reya said: "This claim is particularly important as it should provide some much-needed clarity as to the proper parameters in which technology companies can be allowed to access and make use of private health information."
The action is being funded by a litigation finance agreement with Litigation Capital Management Limited, an alternative asset manager specialising in dispute financing solutions internationally.