Harry Cayton to chair new patient data body

Harry Cayton OBE

Harry Cayton OBE is to chair the new National Information Governance Board for Health and Social Care (NIGB), which becomes a statutory body later this month.

Cayton was formerly the Chair of the Care Record Development Board (CRDB) – the predecessor of the NIGB – and chaired a ministerial task force on the summary care record in 2006.

The NIGB will ensure that patient data is stored and used securely by providing leadership and promoting consistent standards for information governance across health and social care.

The new body has operated in shadow form since October 2007 when it took over the functions of the CRDB.

The information governance board will also cover the areas that were previously the remit of the Patient Information Advisory Group (PIAG). In addition, it will tackle the ethical and legal interpretation and application of policies, procedures and guidance at national level.

The new board will oversee all information governance matters relating to information obtained or generated as part of the delivery of the health service or adult social care functions by a local social services authority in England, irrespective of whether the patient is identified. There is no indication yet of whether the Board will have a secretariat to support it.

According to the DH, the board will be able to deal directly with organisations and individuals using this data on general information governance matters and to provide advice without being asked to do so.

The body will be able to offer advice but lack stronger teeth: “All NHS providers and local social services authorities dealing with adult social care will have a statutory obligation to take note of advice from the NIGB.”

The DH says one of the key roles of the board will be “to seek regular assurance that NHS providers and local social services authorities have considered their information governance policies and procedures and have determined they are fit for purpose”.

Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said in a statement: “I welcome the appointment of Harry Cayton as chair of the NIGB as a statutory body which has been established to improve how confidential patient data is handled.”

The minister added “NIGB has an important role to play in raising the bar for teams across health and social care handling sensitive patient data.”

Cayton, said: “Information technology has become an integral part of our everyday lives and information governance is becoming a 21st century challenge. Sharing records in ways that improve people’s care and are confidential and safe must be our objective.”

He added: “The NIGB will be committed to protecting patients’ interests and advising the NHS and social care on how best to maintain public trust and confidence in co-ordinated services.”

Key topics which the NIGB gave guidance on, while in shadow form, have included: children’s summary care record; access by locums to NPfIT systems; the social care record guarantee; the information governance tool kit; the review of the secondary uses service; and the security of NHS data.