National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care

Did you spot our new annual report last month? 📄 It's a comprehensive overview of the NDG's work, highlighting key discussions and actions we've taken to ensure people's information is kept safe and confidential whilst being used responsibly to benefit patients, social care service users, and the wider public. https://lnkd.in/gXUVx8UE

📢 National Data Guardian appoints Dr. George Fernie as the new chair of the UK Caldicott Guardian Council We’re delighted to share that Dr. George Fernie has been appointed as the new chair of the UKCGC, replacing outgoing chair, Dr Arjun Dhillon. With decades of experience in medicolegal and forensic medicine, and a dedicated tenure as UKCGC’s vice-chair, Dr. Fernie is well-positioned to lead the Council in supporting Caldicott Guardians to uphold the Caldicott Principles across the UK. Dr. Fernie said of his appointment: "I am honoured to take on the role of chair. My foremost priority is to ensure that Caldicott Guardians across the UK are equipped with the guidance and support they need to uphold the Caldicott Principles – safeguarding patient confidentiality and reinforcing trust in our healthcare system. Working alongside the National Data Guardian and the Council, I am committed to ensuring people’s data is handled with care and integrity all across health and social care. I aim to empower Caldicott Guardians to make informed, ethical decisions that serve patients and the public." Dr. Nicola Byrne, National Data Guardian, said: “My team and I are thrilled to welcome George as the new chair of the UKCGC. With his extensive experience, strategic vision and commitment to excellence, he is exceptionally well-placed to lead the Council. I am confident that under his leadership, Caldicott Guardians across the UK will receive the support they need to continue their crucial work upholding the Caldicott Principles and making informed decisions about confidential data.” Dr. Byrne also acknowledged the outgoing chair, Dr. Arjun Dhillon, saying: "We would like to thank Dr. Arjun Dhillon for his dedicated service over the past three years. The Council values his contributions during his tenure and wishes him all the best in his future endeavours. We’re also pleased that Arjun will continue to support the Council with his expertise through his ongoing role as a member."

Let’s Talk Data: Your Voice Matters Are you interested in how data and technology shape health and social care? NHS England is looking for dedicated individuals to represent the public and patient voice as part of its Patient and Public Engagement and Communications Group. Your insights are invaluable. By joining this group, you can share your perspectives on how data is used across the NHS, ensuring that the public’s views are at the heart of key decisions about data policy and programmes. A range of paid opportunities are available. Find out more and apply: https://lnkd.in/e2SfTSFj

📢 New publication: National Data Guardian’s annual progress report We are pleased to share the National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care’s annual progress report for 2023–2024. This report highlights the key achievements of Dr Nicola Byrne and her team in safeguarding health and social care data, ensuring ethical governance, and building public trust in data use. As an independent advisor to the government and the health and care sector, we’ve helped organisations in navigating complex data governance, privacy, and security challenges. We’re committed to improving transparency and ensuring data is used responsibly – not just for patient care, but also for research, innovation, and planning that benefits patients now and in the future. Though a small team, the impact of our work is often far-reaching, and we are proud to support the sector in using data innovatively and responsibly. #HealthData #DataGovernance #DataEthics #NHSData

Understanding Patient Data has published a helpful resource explaining secure data environments (SDEs) and trusted research environments (TREs). https://lnkd.in/gcduk5EX

The Patients Association has published a new video for patients and carers that offers a clear and accessible explanation of Palantir Technologies' Foundry software, which is powering NHS England's NHS Federated Data Platform. The video outlines how the platform is being used to support healthcare services and manage data more efficiently and the protections in place to ensure patient data is handled securely and responsibly. 

I'm delighted to be speaking at #HETT24 on 24-25th September, ExCeL London. Register for your free pass to join the event: https://hubs.la/Q02yfc6k0

Strong health data policy starts with a clear understanding of people's concerns and priorities regarding how their data is used. In recent years, a wealth of research has explored public attitudes toward data. Understanding Patient Data has consistently done a fantastic job of curating and summarising these insights, offering valuable perspectives on how to develop data practices that build trust and serve the public interest. They've just released the latest summary, linked below. Huge thanks to Nicola Hamilton and the team at Understanding Patient Data for continuing to make these insights so accessible. https://lnkd.in/e37J6YFP

The National Data Guardian (NDG) and NHS England have published a joint announcement on a major update to the assessment framework that underpins the NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT). From today, the DSPT will start its transition from the NDG’s 10 data security standards to the National Cyber Security Centre’s Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF). Although the DSPT is evolving, the basic principles embodied in the NDG standards remain fundamental. NHS England will guide organisations through this phased transition. This change has the NDG’s full support. Read the joint statement on NHS England's website at the link below. https://lnkd.in/eENfn2xh

New National Data Guardian blog post. 📢 After her reappointment for a second term as National Data Guardian earlier in the year, Dr Nicola Byrne reflects on some of the most significant things she has learnt in the role to date.