All NHS organisations are required to have a Caldicott Guardian whose role is to protect the confidentiality of patient and service-user information, and enable appropriate information sharing.
The Caldicott Guardian for The Loddon Vale Practice is:
Dr O Fard, senior partner
The term Caldicott refers to a review commissioned by the chief medical officer. A review committee, under the chairmanship of Dame Fiona Caldicott, investigated ways in which patient information is used in the NHS. The review committee also made a number of recommendations aimed at improving the way the NHS handles and protects patient information.
These are summarised by seven information management principles.
- Justify the purpose(s) of using confidential information.
- Only use it when absolutely necessary.
- Use the minimum that is required.
- Access should be on a strict need to know basis.
- Everyone must understand his or her responsibilities.
- Understand and comply with the law.
- The duty to share can be as important as the duty to protect patient confidentiality.