Links
DNA from millions of British babies secretly stored on database
DNA taken from millions of newborn babies in the UK is quietly being stored by hospitals without proper parental consent.
The blood samples, taken in heel-prick tests that check for serious conditions, can be accessed by police, coroners and medical researchers, Freedom of Information Act requests reveal.
Despite government guidelines advising hospitals to destroy the DNA after five years, some facilities have kept them on file for more than 20 years–prompting fears that a covert database is being created.