BMJ - PKI and signinng slight confusion

[Brian Gladman]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr Alan Hassey" <alan.hassey@btinternet.com>
To: <ukcrypto@maillist.ox.ac.uk>
Sent: Monday, September 11, 2000 12:17 PM
Subject: RE: BMJ - PKI and signinng slight confusion


> Each & every health professional has a legal (Data Protection Act),
> contractual & ethical obligation to protect privacy & get appropriate
> informed consent for disclosure. Ultimately the professions are accoutable
> through the courts, through professional regulation (GMC/UKCC etc) &
through
> the NHS Caldicott procedures (hopelessly under-resourced)
>
> There is no single organisation that holds records. NHS Trusts, hold
records
> as do GPs & they are nominally held on behalf of the Secretary of State.
> IMHO the patients own the records.... but that's probably a heretical view
> ;-(

Thanks again Alan - I guess that this means that no-one is responsible for
protecting them - a pretty sad state of affairs given that any lack of
integrity could easily be life threatening.

         Brian