Council Meeting

5th December 2019

Present 

Dr Chris Bunch (Chairman), Sandra Lomax (Vice Chair), Gill Bennett, Carey Bloomer, Dr Arjun Dhillon, Christopher Fincken, Mr Adrian Marchbank, Professor Alison McCallum, Sgt Cmd. Powell, David Riley, Dr Cait Taylor.

Guests 

David Seymour and Amanda White (HDR UK).

Observers

Ross Thornton and Jenny Westaway (NDGO); Dr Marjorie Gillespie (Care UK); Alison Hassey and Kim Knights (Suffolk County Council).

Apologies

Dr Faouzi Alam, Professor Martin Crook, Andrew Harvey, Stephen Hinde, Lucy Hubber,  Tim Kendall, Nina Monckton, Dr Matt Noble, Gill Weatherill, Air Cdr Withnail, Dr Fenella Wrigley. 

Declarations

Conflicts of interest from Christopher Fincken and Sandra Lomax (as training providers) were noted.

Action log

There are currently one open action, one standing item, and 5 actions that have been completed since the last meeting.

Chairman’s update 

The Chairman reported on his recent meetings including attending the NDG’s panel in November and work being undertaken with the Data Security Protection Toolkit (DSPT) to develop a Caldicott Guardian mailing list. Further work on the role of the Caldicott Guardian in the developing information landscape by a cross-NDG-UKCGC working group has been commenced, including planning for a survey that can be included in the proposed Caldicott Guardian newsletter. 

Dr Bunch also discussed meetings he has attended with the ICO exploring the code of anonymisation, and with the Law Commission discussing the current law regarding search warrants, access to health and care information and proposals to simplify and rationalise the law in this area. 

Vice-chair’s update

The Vice-chair updated council members regarding the e-learning for Health Data Security Awareness training and participating in the ongoing review held of training materials for 2020/21.

Regional networks update

The Northern network is holding its next meeting on January 17th, 2020 at NHS Digital in Leeds. The South West network is also in the process of arranging its next meeting. The London network has delayed its next meeting until the New Year.  

Office of the National Data Guardian update

The Head of the Office of the National Data Guardian (NDG) Jenny Westaway reported on the latest activities of the NDG, including the establishment of the National Information Governance Board (NIGB), the public appointment process for the NDG, the code of confidentiality, and ongoing work to support public dialogue on the benefits of using NHS Data for secondary purposes (Office for Life Sciences commercial framework guidance).

Council members suggested it would be valuable for the NIGB to consider including a regulated health professional in their membership and that this could be achieved by requesting representation from the Royal Colleges. Jenny agreed to raise this suggestion with the NDG and members of her Department of Health and Social Care sponsor team.  

UK Caldicott Guardian Council Constitution

Council members discussed the term of the Chair and Vice Chair of the UKCGC (in their absence) and the proposal to extend the terms to align with and support the NDG during the public appointments process. Council members were supportive of extending the terms whilst highlighting the importance of commencing effective transition planning.

INCANDVA – Domestic Violence Bill

Council member Christopher Fincken reported on his recent engagements with the Inter Collegiate Network for Domestic Violence and Abuse (INCANDCVA) and the development of a proposed UKCGC template, incorporating feedback from INCANDVA and NDG Panel members. Council approved of the template.

Training: Leadership Through Data

Council member Dr Cait Taylor provided feedback regarding a recent Leadership Through Data training session for Caldicott Guardians that she had attended. Dr Taylor attended the course to ensure that the training aligns with the Caldicott Guardian Manual. The UKCGC does not formally accredit training providers but is able to include upcoming training dates on its website to training providers which have engaged with the Council. Currently these include DAC Beachcroft, Stay Compliant, Health Care Conferences UK and Leadership through Data.

Health Data Research UK

Amanda White and David Seymour from Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) presented an overview of the HDR UK research hubs. HDR UK works in partnership with the NHS, industry, academia and patients, and aims to improve safe and secure access to rich health data to foster a better understanding of diseases and discover new ways to prevent, treat and cure them. 

Council enquired about the legal status of HDR UK and requested information about the public engagement being undertaken to ensure there is no surprises for members of the public about how their data is used, and that confidentiality is maintained. 

Requests for advice 

The Council discussed recent requests for advice that have been received by the UKCGC mailbox or raised on the Digital Health Caldicott Guardian forum. Topics included disclosure of patient information to the police, and time limits for access to a deceased patient’s information. 

Full details of requests for advice can be provided upon request and some are often also available to view as discussion topics on the Digital Health Networks Caldicott Guardian forum.

Any other business

Social worker regulation

Council requested a follow up on its enquiries regarding the legal powers of Social Care England. the new body that has been set up to regulate social workers (registrants) in England.