NHSScotland Caldicott Guardians: Principles into Practice

7. Information Governance Structures and Networking Opportunities

7.1 Caldicott Guardian Forum:

The bi-annual forum enables Guardians to share best practice, obtain the advice of their peers on pressing problems and identify whether issues are likely to be of national significance.

Examples of existing networking structures which may prove useful include:

Local Data Sharing Partnerships

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/115502/0028631.pdf

7.2 NHSScotland National Information Governance Business Meetings

Quarterly meetings established to bring together all those who are responsible for the elements of IG at Board level to share good practice and learn about new developments. Contact the NHSSIG Team at: NSS.infogov@nhs.net.

7.3 NHS National Services Scotland Privacy Advisory Committee

The Privacy Advisory Committee ( PAC) has been established to advise NHS National Services Scotland and the General Register Office for Scotland ( GROS) on the processing of patient information. PAC has five members, of whom three are lay members and two are from NHS Scotland. The committee meets twice a year and carries on most of its work by mail and email. Applications for access to data held by ISD and other divisions of National Services Scotland are scrutinised by PAC before permissions are granted.

More information on the role remit and membership of PAC can be found at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/3048.html

7.4 CHI Advisory Group ( CHIAG)

CHIAG was set up in 2005 at the request of the Chief Medical Officer ( CMO). Its role is to advise CMO and the Directors of Public Health in NHS Scotland on access to and use of the data held on the Community Health Index ( CHI) for various purposes including operational management of the NHS, audit and research. The Committee meets quarterly, has a wide membership from across the NHS (including Caldicott Guardians) and includes a number of lay members. It is chaired by a Director of Public Health.

See: http://www.chiadvisorygroup.scot.nhs.uk/ for more information on CHIAG.

7.5 NHS Central Register Governance Board

The NHSCR Governance Board was set up in 2005 by the Registrar General to oversee the management of the National Health Services Central Register ( NHSCR). NHSCR is managed by the Registrar General on behalf of the NHS in Scotland. It was created at the inception of the National Health Service in 1948 when its primary use was to manage the transfer of patients' medical records between General Practitioners. The NHSCR now has a number of additional uses including tracing patients, linking health records and it is also used, with appropriate permissions, for some research studies. Visit: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/national-health-service-central-register/consultation-nhscr-governance-board/index.html for more information on the NHSCR.

7.6 The UK Council of Caldicott Guardians

The Council is an elected body made up of Caldicott Guardians from health and social care from across the UK, including three representatives from NHSScotland.

The aims and objectives for the Council are:

• To be the national body for Caldicott Guardians
• To promote the roles and activities of Caldicott Guardians within the United Kingdom
• To be a forum for the exchange of information, views and experience amongst all Caldicott Guardians
• To seek, consider and to represent the views of Caldicott Guardians on matters of policy relating to the organisation and delivery of Information Governance
• To be a channel of communication upon Caldicott matters with national organisations concerned with the NHS, the independent health sector, local government and health and social care professionals
• To act as a resource centre, provide support and arrange learning opportunities for Caldicott Guardians, both current and of the future.

The council meets quarterly, with more information available on the website: http://www.knowledge.scot.nhs.uk/caldicottguardians.aspx