Dr Nicola Byrne, the New National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care has released an introductory blog sharing her thoughts on, and plans for, the role.
Read the full blog at www.gov.uk
"Whilst supporting such innovative data use, I will remain mindful of my responsibility as National Data Guardian to act as an independent ‘critical friend’ to health and care organisations, ensuring that I always call to attention the inherent risks of data sharing and use, including unintended consequences and ‘mission creep’, alongside its benefits. Public trust in institutions can be fragile for many reasons and is easily lost, and the effective use of accurate, complete data ultimately rests on the health of the two-way relationship between the individuals whom the data is about, and those collecting and using it. I’ll seek to provide advice that maintains a balance between the extremes of individual clinicians and organisations being either too paralysed by risk aversion to use data, or acting as if positive thinking and the integrity of well-meaning individuals alone are enough to make systems worthy of public trust."