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Compliance with National Data Opt-outs

Provides a set of requirements to ensure that all health and adult social care organisations in England can comply with the National data opt-out policy

About this standard

Publisher
NHS England
Reference code
DCB3058 Amd 91/2018
Publication date
18/03/2019
Status
Active
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Active. Active standards are stable, maintained and have been approved, assured or endorsed for use by qualified bodies.

Deprecated Deprecated standards are available for use and are maintained, but are being phased out, so new functionality will not be added.

Retired standards Retired standards are not being maintained or supported and should not be used.

Standard type
  • Information standards
Show definitions of standard types

Collections. A Collection is a systematic gathering of a specified selection of data or information for a particular stated purpose from existing records held within health and care systems and electronic devices.

Extractions. An extraction is a type of collection that is pulled from an operational system by the data controller and transmitted to the receiver without additional processing or transcription by the sender.

Information standards. Information standards are agreed ways of doing something, written down as a set of precise criteria so they can be used as rules, guidelines, or definitions.

Technical Standards and specifications. Technical standards and specifications specify how to make information available technically including how the data is structured and transported.

Contact point

Link to standard

Documentation
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Applies to
  • The standard applies to any health or adult social care organisation in England that handles confidential patient information.
Impacts on
Implementation of this information standard impacts all health IT systems suppliers providing systems to the above providers; suppliers should work with their customers to determine necessary changes.
Associated medias
Conformance date
31/03/2020
Effective from
18/03/2019

Topics and care settings

Topic
  • Information codes of practice
  • Information governance
Care setting
  • Ambulance (Urgent and Emergency Care)
  • Community health
  • GP / Primary care
  • Hospital
  • Maternity
  • Mental health
  • Prison
  • Social care
  • Urgent and Emergency Care

Dependencies and related standards

Related standards

Review Information

Scope
Health Services, NHS Services, Adult Social Care
Sponsor
  • Dawn Monaghan, Head of Strategic Information Governance, NHS Digital

Senior Responsible Officer

Dawn Monaghan, Head of Strategic Information Governance, NHS Digital

Business Lead
  • Zerlina Heaver, Senior Project Manager, NHS Digital
Approval date
04/03/2019
Post Implementation review Date
31/03/2021

Legal basis and endorsements

Legal authority
  • Section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012

    This information standard is published under section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012

More information

The national data opt-out policy was introduced on 25 May 2018, enabling patients to opt out from the use of their data for anything other than their individual care and treatment , for example research or planning purposes, in line with the recommendations of the National Data Guardian in her Review of Data Security, Consent and Opt-Outs. By March 2020 all health and adult social care organisations are required to be compliant with the national data opt-out policy, where they are using confidential patient information for purposes beyond an individual's care and treatment.

Page last updated: 20 June 2024