Website of the Department of Health

Response

1. The Department of Health did not conduct an information audit in 2004. Much of the data that would have been collected in an information audit is held within the Department's electronic records management system and an associated system that tracks manual files transferred to the Department's file store.  These systems record the existence and management of registered files - the 'official record' created by departmental staff in the course of their duties.  The electronic records system lists over 130,000 files held by over 400 local registries.  The filestore database lists approximately 551,000 files and boxes stored in our archive.

Information about other information assets, such as statistical databases, is held on the Department's Information Asset Register, which can be viewed on the DH website

2. The Department continues to implement well established policies and procedures for the management, review and disposal of files and documents in accordance with its administrative needs and the Public Records Act.

The policy and associated procedures are set out in guidance that is readily available to all staff on the Departmental Intranet.  I attach a copy of the current guidance, For the Record.

Staff are encouraged to transfer all important documents, including email, into registered files at the earliest opportunity, and our electronic records system is designed to make this very easy to do.  Email messages that form part of the official record are saved for as long as business needs require and stored corporately in accordance with Departmental record management procedures.

Staff are also encouraged not to retain information any longer than needed to support departmental business.  In giving staff this guidance, we are following best practice advice published by the National Archives .

Good practices, and opportunities for improvement, are identified through a rolling audit of record-keeping practice, linked with the Department's Knowledge Management Programme.

Departmental records are structured within a corporate plan but according to local business need.  Business units set up and maintain records locally during their active life, then transfer them to the Departmental file store or the electronic archive for retention. Records are held until they no longer serve any business need according to retention guidelines derived from and recognised by the National Archives.  They are then assessed to determine whether the National Archives should preserve them permanently. Records that are not to be preserved are destroyed.  The attached copy of For the Record includes the Department's current retention guidelines.

3. The Department does not maintain any master list of information.  Staff use indexes relevant to their specific requirements, such as the list of files held by their local registry, or lists that can be generated by record keeping systems for specific purposes associated with managing the records' lifecycle.

Departmental records are classified by individual file numbers made up of a registry number, identifying the business unit responsible for creating and using the records in the first place, a unique file prefix, allocated by the Departmental Record Office, and a series of subordinate codes allocated locally, along with the subject title for each file.  The codes and titles are created to be useful to staff using the records, rather than to external users, and further indexing information is created for the small numbers of files to be transferred to the National Archives.

• Department of Health Information Asset Register (opens new window)
• Download For the record (PDF, 209K)
• The National Archives (opens new window)