UKCGC issues formal response to Home Office consultation: ‘Police requests for third party material’
The UKCGC has issued a formal response to Home Office consultation: ‘Police requests for third party material’, which was exploring issues around police requests for personal records such as health, education and social service records (known as third party material) during criminal investigations.
Caldicott Guardians are frequently tasked with advising their organisations on disclosures of information to the police, but often receive insufficient information upfront to help them navigate such decisions. Requests for information can seem too broad, or it may seem that excessive amounts of information are being requested without the provision of a clear rationale as to why it is necessary. In the absence of this rationale, it is hard for health and social care professionals who are considering the confidentiality of their patients and service users to align their thinking with that of the police conducting an investigation. One of the UKCGC’s key recommendations was that when the police request health and care information, they should clearly justify its purpose upfront by explaining what makes the request appropriate and proportionate in relation to what it is needed for.