Information governance: redefining privacy
in the NHS
Healthcare information-governance specialist Benedict Stanberry
explains why the new NHS confidentiality code of practice
will be welcomed by both patients and professionals.
keywords: information
governance, medical record privacy, consent.
abstract
In November 2003, following a public consultation exercise, the
Department of Health published new best-practice guidance on
information governance for healthcare and socialcare professionals.
This NHS confidentiality code of practice, which replaces
previous guidance on the subject, brings with it a welcome improvement
in the way in which the NHS’s information-governance obligations are
communicated to staff. It focuses on practical ways of protecting
patients’ information from unauthorised or unlawful disclosure,
ensuring that patients are informed of how, why and when information
about them may be properly disclosed and offered a choice to give,
refuse or restrict their consent to such disclosure. The introduction
of the new Code is accompanied by initiatives designed to assist
Caldicott guardians and data-protection officers to improve their
organisations’ information-governance practices.
Br J Healthcare Comput Info Manage 2004; 21(3): 26–8.
