The Health Protection Agency outlines its commitment to patient confidentiality, UK

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 10 Jan 2005 - 10:00 PDT


The Health Protection Agency has prepared a leaflet to inform and reassure patients about the correct use of patient data in the monitoring and surveillance of certain diseases. This is to be circulated to all GP surgeries, to hospital outpatients and to other clinic situations in the NHS in England .

The leaflet, "Safeguarding the confidentiality of patient information while protecting public health" , informs patients about the circumstances in which reporting arrangements for infectious disease and other health threats occur. This is important for patients to know since with these reports personal identifiable information about a patient may be made available to health protection doctors in order to protect the health of others.

Dr Barry Evans, who with others produced the leaflet for the Health Protection Agency, said, "Certain infectious diseases, such as food poisoning or meningococcal disease, are "notifiable", that is, doctors are required by law to report cases to us, so that they can be brought under control at a local level. However, sometimes further sources of information, such as hospital laboratory reports or reports from clinicians made directly to the Agency, are required, so that the causes and sources of diseases can be properly traced and monitored.

"The minimum of personal information is used when carrying out this monitoring, but sometimes details such as a name or postcode are needed, so that we can ask patients where or when they became ill, identify anyone they may have come into contact with, and ascertain any long-term follow-ups or treatment required.

This is particularly useful with cases of serious diseases which are not statutorily notifiable, such as Legionnaires' disease and infections that are resistant to antibiotics."

The Caldicott Report , delivered in 1997, set out guidelines for the continuous improvement of medical confidentiality within the National Health Service, which included the organisations which now make up the Health Protection Agency. As recommended by the report, organisations such as the Agency have appointed their own "Caldicott Guardians" and Security of Information Officers (SIO) whose role is to ensure that patient data is handled in line with the guidelines laid out by the Caldicott Committee and with the requirements of the Data Protection Act .

Dr Evans concluded, "The Health Protection Agency is totally committed to maintaining the confidentiality of patient information, both in direct contact with patients, and in the use of data for surveillance and research. We will continue to ensure that we are worthy of the trust that so many patients place in us every year."

Notes to Editors

1. For more information, please contact the Health Protection Agency press office on 020 8327 7097/6647.

2. The leaflet, Safeguarding the confidentiality of patient information while protecting public health, along with more information about the Health Protection Agency's commitment to the principles of the Caldicott Report, is available at http://www.hpa.org.uk/confidentiality or http://www.hpa.org.uk/caldicott

3. The Caldicott Report states that the use of all patient data should be fully justified and on a strict need-to-know basis, should be kept to a minimum, and should only include patient-identifiable information if absolutely necessary. In addition, everyone involved with the collection and use of patient data should be responsible in maintaining confidentiality, and should understand and comply with the law, in particular the Data Protection Act.

4. In addition in section 60 of the 2001 Health and Social Care Act, the Health Protection Agency was required to apply to a group which advises the Secretary of State on issues to do with reporting of patient identifiable illnesses, where direct patient consent has not been possible. As it was fundamental to their roles, the former Public Health Laboratory Service (now the Health Protection Agency) and the Cancer Registries were among the first to apply to this new committee, the Patient Information Advisory group (PIAG), for the relevant permission to continue reporting arrangements. PIAG requires the Agency to inform patients in a straightforward way about reporting arrangements for infectious disease and other health threats, and this leaflet is part of that process.

5. If patients have further questions, they are advised to ask their healthcare provider, visit the Agency's website (see above), or write to:

The Caldicott Guardian
Corporate Services
Health Protection Agency
61 Colindale Avenue
London NW9 5DF
or email: caldicott@hpa.org.uk

This is a Press Release from the Health Protection Agency

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