Newsletter: February 2024
Dear Colleagues,
We wanted to take a moment to write to you all to update you with what the UK Caldicott Guardian Council (UKCGC) has to offer in 2024.
We are excited to announce and promote the forthcoming Healthcare Conferences UK (HC-UK) Caldicott Guardian Conference, which UKCGC are sponsoring. The conference will be taking place on Tuesday 21 May 2024 at the Hallam Conference Centre, London – with talks on AI and Genomics and an update from the National Data Guardian. There are still some discounted spaces available for Caldicott Guardians – please follow the link in this update to secure your place.
The UKCGC also offers other free events. Did you know we run ‘breakfast club’ networking events, where you can expect relevant news updates, the opportunity to meet other Caldicott Guardians, case study explorations and the chance to ask questions you may be facing as a Caldicott Guardian. We also run free evening classes once a month, on relevant topics for Caldicott Guardians. You can find more information on breakfast clubs and evening classes later in this bulletin.
We have received several requests for advice regarding implementing the National Data Guardian’s guidance on the appointment of Caldicott Guardians. We therefore want to draw your attention to our FAQs, to provide further information.
We appreciate that you all have likely had a busy start to 2024, and it is easy to miss key announcements, developments or new guidance and policy. In this bulletin, we have therefore collated some key items that you might find helpful to be aware of in your role as a Caldicott Guardian.
Two areas to which we would like to draw specific attention are the GMC update on Good Medical Practice and the ICO Guidance on transparency in Health and Social Care.
GMC Good Medical Practice
In professional news – especially for the doctors – we should flag that the GMC have updated the Good Medical Practice guidance. The changes are highlighted here.
Although various commentators have discussed the consequences of these changes, two especially important aspects to highlight to Caldicott Guardians are:
There are clear steps towards challenging sexual misconduct, bullying and discrimination in the workplace.
Promotion of the patient-centred principles of consent brought into focus by the Montgomery judgment of 2015 potentially impacting on the work of UKCGC.
ICO guidance in transparency in health and social care
The ICO guidance in transparency in health and social care was consulted on at the end of last year. Information governance colleagues and Caldicott Guardians contributed relevant comment. It is notable as for being the first heath sector specific guidance from the ICO.
One key observation was the stronger distinction between the requirements to provide specific privacy information (UK GDPR Articles 13/14) and to operate transparently (UK GDPR Article 5(1)(a)). We have never really, deeply considered the difference before. The ICO also helpfully referenced guidance from the National Data Guardian.
The guidance also listed harms to individuals and to society from lack of transparency.
Individual harms - psychological harm, loss of control, chilling effect (stopping using services).
Societal harms - public health (opt outs), research, risk of failure to provide transparency.
We think these harms are worth consideration when we are providing advice into the products and programmes – in particular large data programmes where trust is important to uphold.
As always, if you are a Caldicott Guardian and need some further support with a specific information-sharing or confidentiality scenario, you can ask us for advice on how you might best handle it.
Wishing you the best for 2024.
Dr Arjun Dhillon UKCGC Chair
Dr George Fernie UKCGC Vice-Chair
UKCGC events and learning opportunities
Caldicott Guardian National Annual Conference 2024
This year, we are sponsoring the Healthcare Conferences UK’s annual national Caldicott Guardian conference, which is taking place in London (or online) on Tuesday 21 May 2024.
As part of this, we have helped to shape an interesting and varied agenda. The event brings together Caldicott Guardians to understand current issues, the national context, and debate and discuss issues they face in practice. UKCGC Chair, Dr Arjun Dhillon, and National Data Guardian, Dr Nicola Byrne, will be speaking. Find out more.
Some discounted rate tickets (£100) are still available if you use the promotional code HCUK100ukcgc at the checkout (on the second page of the online booking form). Please note that discounts are not valid in conjunction with any other offer from the HC-UK Conferences group (including the credit card discount) and are for new bookings only. HC-UK is unable to offer refunds on booked places.
Caldicott Guardian Evening Classes
The UKCGC is beginning a series of free, online evening masterclasses (17:30-18:30) for Caldicott Guardians and those performing the Caldicott function for their organisation. The classes aim to spread good practice and share ideas for practical implementation.
Wednesday, 07 February 2024 Recording considerations: recordkeeping for CGs
Wednesday, 06 March 2024 Legal framework: a simple overview for CGs
Wednesday, 03 April 2024 In the heat of the moment: a problem-solving approach for CGs
Thursday, 16 May 2024 An introduction to DPIAs for Caldicott Guardians
Tuesday, 11 June 2024 Information sharing to safeguard children & young people. How can CGs help?
Tuesday, 16 July 2024 Maintaining Confidentiality after death: the role of the CG
Monday, 12 August 2024 Information sharing with the police: a simple overview
Tuesday, 03 September 2024 Recording considerations: recordkeeping for CGs
Tuesday, 08 October 2024 Legal framework: a simple overview for CGs
Wednesday, 06 November 2024 An introduction to DPIAs for Caldicott Guardians
Tuesday, 03 December 2024 Ideas for networking and support for Caldicott Guardians
Those wishing to attend should contact helen.dyer10@nhs.net.
Further information and updates can be found here.
UKCGC Breakfast Club
Breakfast clubs are held virtually via MS Teams and can include relevant news updates, an opportunity to network with other Caldicott Guardians, case studies and the chance to ask questions you may be facing as a Caldicott Guardian.
Those wishing to attend should contact helen.dyer10@nhs.net.
Caldicott Guardian virtual workshops
These free virtual workshops are arranged by the UKCGC to inform and support Caldicott Guardians in their work.
Delegates are invited to examine some of the complex scenarios faced by Caldicott Guardians on the frontline of health and social care today.
Through case study examples – taken from the Caldicott Guardian forum and from delegates on the day – you will explore some of the difficult issues and requests that Caldicott Guardians are often asked to resolve.
Keep an eye out here for news of upcoming workshops.
Sector news relevant to Caldicott Guardians:
NDG released Annual Report and Accounts for 2022/23 - National Data Guardian 2022-2023 report - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
NHS England provided an update on the Federated Data Platform programme - NHS England » Federated Data Platform update
The Department of Health and Social Care published the Care data matters: a roadmap for better adult social care data
The ICO transparency consultation has now closed.