Wow. White et al are trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator here: other researchers' fear that recruitment for their own trials may now be slowed!
Actually, its i very crafty when you think about it. They thought: "how can we side-step the real issues, and gain support for our position?" Answer: by making it sound as though every researcher has something to fear from this controversy!
There is no mention of the elephant in the room - the information commissioner's/tribunal's judgement that fully anonymised data is not considered personal data, and therefore does not require the patient's consent for it to be released.
I'm sympathetic to the #MEA article. Please, PACE authors, can we get away from the craftiness and dissembling now and actually address the real issues about patient treatment and welfare? Is that too much to ask from a group of researchers claiming to do work in the service of patients?