Personal information

Sometimes the Healthcare Commission needs to use personal information about individuals, or other confidential information, in order to carry out its work. We only obtain and use such information in ways that the law allows. The Data Protection Act 1998 and the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 both regulate the way we can use personal information about you.

The leaflet below tells you how we obtain and use your personal information.

Information governance at the Healthcare Commission (PDF 516kb) (opens new window)

The publications below contain more detailed information about how we use personal information in the course of our work. They also outline your rights regarding confidential personal information.

Code of practice on confidential personal information - English (pdf 2036kb) (opens new window)

Code of practice on confidential personal information: Summary - English (pdf 69kb) (opens new window)

Code of practice on confidential personal information: Summary - Welsh (pdf 69kb) (opens new window)

Committee on confidential personal information

We have a committee of Commissioners to oversee the operation of the code of practice. The current members of the Committee are Paul Streets OBE (chair), Michael Hake (deputy chair), Khurshid Alam, Sharon Hopkins and Professor Deirdre Kelly. The Committee has approved some frameworks for delegated decision-making on the obtaining, handling, use and disclosure of confidential personal information. These frameworks allow certain staff to make decisions in specified circumstances. All other decisions must be referred to the Committee.

Terms of reference for the Committee on confidential personal information (PDF, 70K) (opens new window)

Framework for NHS complaints (pdf 40kb) (opens new window)

Framework for NHS investigations (pdf 43kb) (opens new window)

Framework for regulation of independent health services (pdf 43kb) (opens new window)

Framework for disclosure to emergency, security and investigative services (pdf 40kb) (opens new window)

Healthcare Commission Commissioners