Governance

NHS Digital takes the importance of information governance very seriously. Controls and procedures are in place to make sure we demonstrate the highest standard of stewardship and governance of the information we handle. NHS Digital makes sure that our processes are appropriate for governing the receipt, processing and publication of data that does not compromise confidentiality and maximises the use of information.

The Data Access Request Service (DARS) can offer clinicians, researchers, and commissioners the data required to help improve NHS services. The DARS team can help support commissioners with new DSA (Data Sharing Agreement) applications and any current applications. If you would like to make any changes to a current DSA, please email [email protected].

AGD (advisory group for data) provides guidance on the release of data and consider all requests for the dissemination of confidential information. NHS England will, as NHS Digital did, obtain independent advice on external access arrangements for confidential information collected from the NHS and adult social care services under the data functions recently transferred to NHS England from NHS Digital. It will also obtain independent advice on internal access arrangements. NHS England is establishing a new data advisory group to provide this in line with statutory guidance issued by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care which has been published in draft.

Terms of reference for the data advisory group will be finalised following publication of the final statutory guidance. NHS England will consult with the Department of Health and Social Care and the National Data Guardian on the terms of reference, which will be approved by the NHS England Board and published.

In the meantime, to ensure business continuity, transitional arrangements have been put in place. The members of the previous NHS Digital Independent Group Advising on the Release of Data (IGARD) have continued, at the request of NHS England, to meet and provide advice on data access matters. In line with the draft statutory guidance, they have been asked to form an interim data advisory group alongside a representative of the Caldicott Guardian, the Data Protection Officer, and the Data and Analytics function. A representative of the Senior Information Risk Owner will also attend meetings.

Please see below the CSU Release Register. This contains the commissioning datasets which are released to Commissioners from CSUs including the frequency and legal basis. If you have any queries, please contact [email protected]