Objectives 2.1 To set parameters for the sharing of information between agencies which contribute to the health or social care of an individual. 2.2 To define the purposes for holding personal information within each agency. To define how personal information should be held within each agency and who should have access to this information. 2.4 To define which information is designated as health services information and which is designated as social services information and to specify the rights of access to each for individuals as required by legislation. Whilst it is vital for the proper care of individuals that those concerned with that care have ready access to the information that they need, it is also important that service users and their carers can trust that personal information will be kept confidential and that their privacy is respected.
All staff have an obligation to safeguard the confidentiality of personal information.
This is governed by law, their contracts of employment, and in many cases by professional codes of conduct. All staff should be made aware that breach of confidentiality could be a matter for disciplinary action and provides grounds for complaint against them. Although it is neither practicable nor necessary to seek an individual's specific consent each time that information needs to be passed on for a particular purpose that has been defined within this protocol , this is contingent on individuals having been fully informed of the uses to which information about them may be put. All agencies concerned with the care of individuals should satisfy themselves that this requirement is met. 3.4 Clarity about the purposes to which personal information is to be put is essential, and only the minimum identifiable information necessary to satisfy that purpose should be made available.