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NHS Caldicott Guardians
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Last modified date:9 April 2008
A Caldicott Guardian is a senior person responsible for protecting the confidentiality of patient and service-user information and enabling appropriate information-sharing. The Guardian plays a key role in ensuring that the NHS, Councils with Social Sevices responsibilities and partner organisations satisfy the highest practicable standards for handling patient identifiable information.
HSC 1999/012 Caldicott Guardians
This circular advises on the appointment of Guardians, outlines the first year work programme for improving the way each organisation handles confidential patient inform
The Caldicott Guardian Manual
This manual is guidance that takes account of developments in information management in the NHS and in Councils with Social Services Responsibilities since the publication of the Caldicott report. It sets out the role of the Caldicott Guardian within an organisational Caldicott/confidentiality function as a part of broader information governance.
Register of Caldicott Guardians
HSC1999/012, dated 22 January 1999, instructed Chief Executives of NHS organisations to appoint a Caldicott Guardian by 31 March 1999 and to advise the NHS Executive of their Guardian's name and address details for inclusion on a national Register of Caldicott Guardians.
The requirement for a Caldicott Guardian was later rolled out to Social Care organisations. Today there are currently some 750 registered Caldicott Guardians working within the NHS, Social Care and other health related organisations. Whilst it is accepted that different organisations may choose to assign responsibility for confidentiality and security issues in different ways, it is important that arrangements should remain transparent to those outside of the organisation. We are therefore only able to include a single Caldicott Guardian from each organisation on the Register.
To update your organisation’s details on the Register please complete the appropriate certificate for your organisation-type.
IMPORTANT: Please return the certificate by post, (not fax or scan) to the address stated.
Please note for NHS organisations, the certificate MUST be countersigned by the organisation's Chief Executive.
Examples of best practice
Caldicott returns for NHS organisations
The new information governance toolkit for NHS staff will provide web-based guidance and assessment tools for all information governance areas in one transparent on-line package. The toolkit supersedes the Caldicott returns from 2003/04 onwards.
Additional links
The NHS Confidentiality Code of Practice
Guidelines on the use and protection of patient information, November 2003.
NHS Care Record Guarantee
The NHS will use records about you in ways that respect your rights and promote your health and wellbeing.
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