Abstract
Anonymised primary care electronic health records (EHR) have been available for research in the UK for at least two decades. The time has come for a rethink in how we coordinate the sharing of data for research, in a way that provides clear benefits for patients and practices as well as researchers. Up until now, sharing data for research provides long-term benefits for the public, patients, and practitioners as a result of the implementation of these research findings. While these benefits are clearly in the public interest, our current approach provides few immediate benefits.