The August 2014 edition (issue 20) of the Caldicott Guardian Newsletter is now available for download.

Caldicott Guardians are often asked for their advice on whether or not to share personal information with the police. But what should staff do out of hours when a Guardian may not be available and the request is considered to be urgent?

New Caldicott Principle 7 - ‘the duty to share information can be as important as the duty to protect patient confidentiality’, requires that health and social care professionals have the confidence to share information in the best interests of their patients within the framework set out by the remaining Principles. The Caldicott 2 Report advised that professionals should be supported by the policies of their employers, regulators and professional bodies to make sharing decisions. In Guidance relating to the disclosure of personal information to the police, the UK Council of Caldicott Guardians has set out some basic steps to assist front-line staff when considering such requests.

This edition also introduces the Information Governance Alliance, the new group set up to provide a ‘single source of authoritative truth’ - a recommendation of the Caldicott 2 Report.

You may view the full content and download a copy of the newsletter at: http://systems.hscic.gov.uk/infogov/caldicott/newsletter