Council Meeting

16th October 2019

Present 

Dr Chris Bunch (Chairman), Sandra Lomax (Vice Chair), Dr Faouzi Alam, Carey Bloomer, Dr Arjun Dhillon, Helen Dyer, Lucy Hubber, Mr Adrian Marchbank, Dr Matt Noble, Surg. Cdr. Catherine Powell, David Riley, Jenny Spiers (for SIGN), Dr Cait Taylor.

Guests 

Rahman Bahl (NHSD), Chris Dickson (NHSD), Sasha Hewitt (HQIP), Yvonne Silone (HQIP), Anna Steere (NHSX)

Observers

Dr Alex Crowe, Jaqueline Stockwell ((Leadership through Data), Ross Thornton (NDGO).

Apologies

Prof. Martin Crook, Christopher Fincken, Andrew Harvey, Stephen Hinde, Tim Kendall, Prof. Alison McCallum, Nina Monckton, Richard Powley, Air Cmdr. Withnall. 

Conflicts of interest from Sandra Lomax (as training provider) were noted.

Chairman’s update 

The Chairman updated Council on his recent meetings including attending the NDG’s Panel in September at which he led a session on the role of the Caldicott Guardian in the developing information landscape. A cross-NDG and UKCGC working group has been established to progress this matter and report back to the NDG. 

The chairman also delivered a presentation at the Independent Health Providers Network (IHPN), which had previously attended a UKCGC meeting to discuss the role of the Caldicott Guardian in private health and care organisations.

Vice Chair update

The Vice Chair updated Council on ongoing discussions with the Police regarding data sharing for missing persons, and her attendance at the e-learning for Health Data Security Awareness training review held at NHS Digital Offices in Leeds. 

Regional networks updates

The North network provided an update on a proposed UKCGC North network workshop due to be held in Leeds on January 17th 2020. The South West network is also in the process of arranging their next meeting and the London network has delayed their next meeting to facilitate meeting room arrangements.  

Health Quality Improvement Partnership —Information Governance Advisory Group

Yvonne Sillove (Director, National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme) and Sasha Hewitt (Associate Director and Interim Data Protection Officer) from the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP), presented the work of HQIP in the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme (NPOP) and its Information Governance Advisory Group (IGAG). 

Council was interested to hear about the work of HQIP’s Data Access Release Group (DARG) and to discuss a recent decision to apply the National Data Opt-out to National Clinical Audit data collections. Concern was expressed regarding the practicalities of applying the Opt-out to national clinical audits locally, given the variety of these and that for some it is local clinicians who submit data. HQIP was asked if it would be possible for it to support the implementation of the National Data Opt-out to the audits it covers after the data has been submitted to them. However, it was thought that would be contrary to the spirit of the Opt-out scheme.

National Records Locator Service

Chris Dickson (Principal Clinical and Business Informatics Specialist) and Raman Bahl (Clinical Specialist – Medical) attended to discuss the progress of the NHS Digital National Records Locator Service (NRL). The NRL is a national index of pointers to patient records. It enables an authorised clinician, care worker and/or administrator, in any health or care setting, to locate a patient’s records to support direct care. The NRL combines patient records across the NHS without dictating where those records might be stored, thus hoping to realise a level of national interoperability across the service which has previously been unachievable. 

Council was pleased to hear about the successful pilot and the imminent rollout to paramedics and mental health nurses. Members were supportive of the rollout of NRL and discussed how the UKCGC may be able to help drive usage of the NRL.

NHS X Communications – to support better use of health and care data

Anna Steere (Senior Communications Manager) at NHX presented NHSX’s communications work to support better use of health and care data.  Anna discussed the wide policy and programme shift towards better use of patient data with commitments made in the NHS Long Term Plan, Life Sciences Sector Deals and the Secretary of State’s technology vision. The interrelated policies and programmes being delivered across organisational boundaries both nationally and locally (NHSX, DHSC, NHS Digital, HDR UK, Office for Life Sciences, Local Health and Care Record and Global Digital Exemplar programme localities etc), calls for clarity of communication. 

A discussion ensued on the need for meaningful shifts in the attitudes and perceptions of NHS staff and how Caldicott Guardians could support engagement approaches with staff and patients in a way that is responsive to local needs and supports the national strategy. Council offered to facilitate further engagement via its supporting mechanisms such as the CG forum, regional networks and potentially via a more comprehensive mailing list in the future.

Consent to Medical Photography

Mr Adrian Marchbank and Dr Chris Bunch have been progressing an enquiry regarding consent for medical photography. UKCGC members discussed the GMC Guidance and how it aligns with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

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. These requests included topics such as disclosure of patient notes to a third party in the public interest, access to a relative’s residential home records, and inappropriate access to a GP record. 

Full details of requests for advice can be provided upon and are also available to view as discussion topics on the digital health Caldicott Guardian forum.

Any other business

Council discussed Social Care England—a new body that has been set up to regulate social workers (registrants) in England and has a duty to conduct fitness to practise investigations where there is a concern about any social worker’s fitness to practise. 

A report from UKCGC member Tim Kendall regarding his attendance at the London SIGN meeting was also circulated for information.