Secretary of State asks CQC to review NHS data security

Speaking today at Health and Care Innovation Expo 2015, Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Health, announced that he has asked CQC to review the effectiveness of current approaches to data security by NHS organisations when it comes to handling patient-confidential data.

Dame Fiona Caldicott, the National Data Guardian, will contribute to this review by developing clear guidelines for the protection of personal data against which every NHS and care organisation will be held to account. This work will be completed in January with recommendations on how the new guidelines can be assured through CQC inspections and NHS England commissioning processes.

Welcoming the announcement, CQC's Chief Executive David Behan said:

"People need to have trust in the NHS and have confidence that their personal medical records will be secure and protected at all times. We welcome the Secretary of State's request for us to carry out a national review of security arrangements across the NHS for patient-confidential medical information. We will work with Dame Fiona and others on this important issue."