Data Protection and Freedom of Information

Abstract

Personal and confidential information is any data that pertains to a particular individual which when used without the appropriate consent can lead to the identification of the person to which it pertains. The nature of the content pertaining to an individual can vary but might consist of racial, sexual, religious, political attraction, gender preference, physical, mental, genetic or describing current or historic criminal convictions. The NHS and its members of staff should be continuously committed to protect this information and a patient should only have his or her information shared between members of staff directly responsible for the care being provided with. This relies on a professional code of conduct and on highly protected and encrypted hardware on which information is stored. This chapter describes the legislations that govern and protect personal information within the NHS.