Last month we highlighted the last minute scramble that ensure NHS England, CCGs and CSUs are authorised to handle sensitive personal data for purposes other than direct commissioning of patient care. The NHS Health Research Authority granted NHS England conditional approval to process data for secondary uses on 5 April. The approval is an exemption under section 251 of the NHS Act 2006 and extends the permissions that had previously been in place for the DH PCTs and SHAs for three months until 30 June 2013.
The Health Research Authority is said to be reviewing the matter.
Meanwhile NHS England is reviewing Dame Fiona Caldicott's review into information governance (IG) -Information: to share or not to share to establish necessary information-sharing protocols to improve IG arrangements in the new commissioning landscape.
To offer further support a series of four workshops are planned by NHS England for next month covering London the Midlands and East and the North. Each workshop will provide a view of the changes necessary to comply with section 251 support and opportunities for questions of NHS England and the Health and Social Care Information Centre IG and Data Services delivery teams.
Details of the forthcoming workshops are:
- 5 June London (for the London area)
- 7 June London (for South)
- 11 June Leicester (Midlands and East)
- 14 June Leeds (North)
For more information you can email [email protected].