Website of the Department of Health

Records Management: NHS Code of Practice consultation

The guidance contained in Health Service Circular 1999/053 For the Record - Managing Records in NHS Trusts and Health Authorities, has been reviewed taking into account  recent developments in records management requirements and to reflect the increased use of electronic records in the NHS.  Consequent to this review, it is proposed that the 1999 guidance should be replaced with a new Records Management: NHS Code of Practice, covering all types of NHS records regardless of the media on which they are held.

The intended purpose of the Code of Practice (CoP) is to help the NHS to meet its legal obligations in the management of its records.  For this to be achieved, it is important that the presentation and content of the CoP should be credible to records management professionals and also provide useful guidance for all records managers.  The Department of Health is therefore undertaking a consultation exercise on the attached draft CoP and its supporting annexes, and is inviting comments on these documents from any interested parties.

• Download Records Management: NHS Code of Practice (PDF, 67K)
• Download Records Management Consultation Questionnaire (DOC, 56K)
• Download Detailed Comment Response Sheet (DOC, 771K)
• Download Download Annex C: Legal and Statutory Powers (PDF, 83K)
• Download Annex D: Notes to accompany the NHS Retention and Disposal Schedules (PDF, 24K)
• Download Annex Di: Health Record Retention Schedule (DOC, 263K)
• Download Annex Dii: Non Health/Clinical Records Retention Schedule (DOC, 345K)