"Drug and insurance companies will from later this year be able to buy information on patients – including mental health conditions and diseases such as cancer, as well as smoking and drinking habits – once
“Drug and insurance companies will from later this year be able to buy information on patients – including mental health conditions and diseases such as cancer, as well as smoking and drinking habits – once a single English database of medical data has been created.”
See the article: NHS patient data to be made available for sale to drug and insurance firms – Privacy experts warn there will be no way for public to work out who has their medical records or how they are using it (Guardian, link)