Data protection. Get in on the act

Informed consent for any use of data beyond immediate care and treatment is fundamental to meeting the requirements of the Data Protection Act. It is important to identify data owners and controllers and to ensure they are aware of their responsibilities to ensure that data is held securely. No data should be passed to third parties without written agreements and unless EU equivalent data protection can be ensured. NHS organisations should ensure they have good policies and training in place to ensure compliance.