Information governance guidance

Use and share information with confidence

This guidance will support you to use and share information with confidence when caring for patients and service users.

COVID-19 IG advice

This guidance provides advice on working in different ways during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Template: COVID-19 privacy notice

An example supplementary privacy notice which can be used by organisations to inform patients and service users about the ways information is being used as a result of COVID-19

Virtual wards

Virtual wards support people, who would otherwise be in hospital, to receive the care and treatment they need in their own home or usual place of residence. Virtual wards are suitable for a range of conditions that can be safely and effectively monitored at home including respiratory conditions, heart failure and COVID-19.

Personal data breaches

This guidance will help health and care organisations deal with personal data breaches, for example, losing personal information. It provides advice on what a personal data breach is and the steps that need to be taken if a breach occurs.

Sharing information with the police

This guidance is about disclosure of information by health and care organisations to the police.

What is and isn’t direct marketing?

The ICO has produced wider guidance on direct marketing for the public sector. This guidance, produced by the panel, specifically considers the rules on direct marketing in the context of health and care communications.

Flu vaccines and the COVID-19 response

This guidance describes how data is being used to help ensure that those who are entitled to a flu vaccine receive one. This is very important during the pandemic. This guidance covers data relating to both health and care staff and patients.

Data sharing agreement template

A data sharing agreement template and accompanying guide which can be used by local organisations.

Bring your own device (BYOD) guidance

BYOD is a service offered by organisations to their employees to enable them to use their own devices for work, such as mobile phones, laptops and tablets. This guidance focuses on the IG considerations.

Subject Access Requests

This guidance will help you understand what a Subject Access Request is and how they are responded to.

Consent and confidential patient information

This guidance is about consent and what it means when sharing Confidential Patient Information.

UK GDPR guidance for researchers and study coordinators

This operational guidance has been produced by the Health Research Authority for researchers and study coordinators on the implications of the UK GDPR for the delivery of research in the UK.

Information governance in local quality improvement

This guide by Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP), describes how information governance (IG) laws and principles apply to the use of personal data in multi-agency healthcare quality improvement studies.