Search the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust website

Advanced options

Our Quality and Safety Standards

At Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, the quality and safety of your care are our highest priorities. There are national and local standards, policies and procedures to ensure you have the best possible outcomes and experience.

We adhere to the NHS Constitution for our standards and waiting times. We are inspected and regulated by national organisations who ensure we provide services to expected levels and meet our commitments within the National Health Service. We also take very seriously the feedback we get from patients and visitors and respond to concerns when they arise.

Back to the list

Caldicott Principles

What is Caldicott?

In 1997, a committee chaired by Dame Fiona Caldicott produced a report about confidentiality. Their brief had been to review the transfer of patient identifiable information within the health service; the result was a set of standards that became known as The Caldicott Principles.

As we move to a more electronic age, where information can be shared more easily, and across many more types of organisations, the Government accepted the NHS Future Forum’s recommendation in January 2012, for an Information Governance Review of the balance between protecting patient information and its sharing, to improve patient care.

The Government asked Dame Fiona Caldicott to lead the work on the review, which has now become known as the Caldicott2 Report.  Done in April 2013 the Caldicott2 report expanded on the original 1997 report with 26 extra recommendations including adding a 8th Caldicott principle.

The Caldicott Principles also allow for the secure transfer of sensitive information across other agencies, for example Social Services, Education, Police and Judicial System. The eight Caldicott Principles relating to the use of patient identifiable information are: 

  1. Justify the purpose(s) of using confidential information
  2. Only use it when absolutely necessary
  3. Use the minimum that is required
  4. Access should be on a strict need-to-know basis
  5. Everyone must understand his or her responsibilities
  6. Understand and comply with the law
  7. The duty to share information can be as important as the duty to protect patient confidentiality
  8. Inform patients and service users about how their confidential information is used

The Caldicott Guardian

Each NHS organisation has appointed a Caldicott Guardian, who is responsible for safeguarding patient information and ensuring good practices are implemented.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust
John Devapriam, Medical Director
Tel - 01905 681703
Email - whcnhs.caldicott@nhs.net