Unit 4223.306 Promote good practice in handling information in health & social care settings Outcome 1 1. Identify the codes of practice that relate to handling information in health & social care. • Data Protection Act • Information Governance • NNUH Policies • Unison code of conduct for HCA’s • NMC code of conduct • Caldicott principals 2. Summarise the main points of legal requirements and codes of practice for handling information in health & social care. The Data Protection act sets out principles which are essentially good practice and provide a legal framework for processing personal data.
These are:- • Personal data should be processed fairly and lawfully. • Personal data should be obtained only for one/more specified and lawful purpose. • Personal data should be adequate, relevant and not excessive. • Personal data should be accurate and where necessary, kept up to date. • Personal data processed for purpose/purposes should not be kept longer than necessary.
1.2 SUMMARISE THE MAIN POINTS OF LEGAL REQUIRMENTS AND CODES OF PRACTICE FOR HANDLING INFORMATION IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE. The summary of the main points of legal requirements and codes of practice for handling information in health and social care are as follows: * Ensures service users rights are recognise * Personal data must be accurate and kept up to date * Data not kept for longer than necessary * Data kept secure at all times * Information fairly and lawfully processed * Data not to be transferred to countries outside the EU without adequate
Everything has to be securely kept somewhere safe (with relevant password protection etc.). 8. Cannot be transferred to another country without good enough protection in its natural
There are also the Data protection principles, these are: 1. Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully and in particular shall not be processed unless a) at least one of the conditions in schedule 2 is met and b) in the case of sensitive personal data, at least one of the conditions in schedule 2 is also met. 2. Personal data shall be obtained only for one or more specified and
QCF Level 3 Health and Social Care David Mano CU2479 Promote Good Practice in Handling Information in Health and Social Care Settings Outcome 1 1.1 The current legislation tells us that we have to keep records and information safe and up-to-date at all times. Different companies keep various pieces of information. Different information is handled in different ways. We must follow the company policies and procedures about how to handle certain types of information, the policy will follow the guidelines as set out in the Data Protection Act 1998. As a carer we have the responsibility to make a record of the entire task that we perform in a clear way so that the information can be safely transmitted to the other carers and to the management.
1. Identify legislation and codes of practice that relate to handling information in health and social care Legislation: • Data Protection Act 1988 • Freedom of Information Act 2000 • Health and Social Care Act 2008 - Essential Standards Codes of Practice • Health and Care Professional Council • Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) • Local or internal codes of practice (your employers policies and procedures) 2. Summarise the main points of legal requirements and codes of practice for handling information in health and social care The purpose of the Data Protection Act 1988 is to protect the rights and privacy of individuals and to ensure that data about them is not shared without their knowledge or consent. This Act controls how personal information is used by organisations, business’ or Government. Those who have access to this data must follow strict rules called “data protection principles” and must make sure information is:- • Used fairly and lawfully • Used for limited, specifically stated purpose • Used in a way that is adequate, relevant and not excessive • Accurate • Kept for no longer than absolutely necessary • Handled accordingly to people’s data protection rights.
"Laws should not be rigid or fixed. Instead, they should be flexible enough to take account of various circumstances, times, and places." The aforesaid statement is by all means a fair and notable statement. Laws are enforced so as to maintain cordial order and discipline. Hence when the purpose is not met then there is definitely a need for corrective measures.
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives individuals the right to ask organisations about all the information they have about them. 1.2 Q: Explain why it is important to have secure systems for recording and storing information in a health and social care setting. A: It is important to have secure systems for recording and storing information so that individuals and staff's private information will be protected from unauthorised viewing. It is to comply with legislation and it is the right of individuals and staff to have their private information protected. It is important to ensure information is accessible to those who need to know it.
The information held must be adequate, relevant and not excessive when compared with the purpose stated in the register. So you must have enough detail but not too much for the job that you are doing with the data. 5. It must be accurate and be kept up to date. There is a duty to keep it up to date, for example to change an address when people move.