Consultation outcome

Caldicott Principles: a consultation about revising, expanding and upholding the principles

From:
National Data Guardian
Published
25 June 2020
Last updated
8 December 2020 — See all updates
This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

National Data Guardian: response to consultation about Caldicott Principles and Guardians

PDF, 900 KB, 48 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email publications@dhsc.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Detail of outcome

This report provides a summary of the responses we received and our final response. It sets out that the National Data Guardian has:

  • revised the wording of the existing seven Caldicott principles
  • added an eighth Caldicott principle, which makes clear that patients’ and service users’ expectations must be considered and informed when confidential information is used
  • committed to publish statutory guidance in 2021 to clarify the role of Caldicott Guardians and which organisations should appoint one

We are grateful to all who took part in the consultation.

We have published a press release and blog post about the consultation outcome.

Detail of feedback received

We received 282 responses to our consultation.

It was conducted via two principal methods: an online written survey (194 respondents), and online focus groups (88 participants), which involved patients, social care service users and members of the public.

These activities were supplemented by direct engagement with key individuals and organisations from across the health and social care system, both before and during the formal consultation period.

The breakdown of those who responded to the written survey:

  • 19 were members of the public
  • 77 were responding for their organisation
  • 90 were responding in a professional capacity
  • 7 classified themselves as ‘other interested parties’
  • 1 did not specify

Original consultation

Summary

A concluded consultation about the Caldicott Principles and guidance about the appointment of Caldicott Guardians.

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

The National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care (NDG) is seeking views on:

  • proposed revisions to the seven existing Caldicott Principles
  • proposed extension of the Caldicott Principles through the introduction of an additional principle which makes clear that patients’ and service users’ expectations must be considered and informed when confidential information is used
  • the proposal that the NDG uses her statutory power to issue guidance about organisations appointing Caldicott Guardians to uphold the Caldicott Principles

We’ve provided more information in a background document which you can download from this page. You may find it helpful to read this before answering the consultation survey.

Documents

Revising, expanding and upholding the Caldicott Principles: consultation background document

PDF, 206 KB, 10 pages

Updates to this page

Published 25 June 2020
Last updated 8 December 2020 + show all updates

  1. Added the consultation outcome.

  2. First published.

Sign up for emails or print this page

Related content