Personal data from almost 50 million NHS patients has allegedly been sold to insurers, it was reported yesterday.

The information spanning up to 13 years of medical history was reportedly accessed by the Staple Inn Actuarial Society and combined with credit ratings as advice to insurance companies looking to improve their products.

It was suggested that calculations resulting from this information — something the report classifies as “valuable data source in developing pricing assumptions for ‘critical illness’ cover” — meant an increase in premiums for thousands of people under 50.