New guidance has been published by the Information Commissioner’s Officer (ICO) to improve health and social care transparency.

The guidance by the UK data protection regulator is designed to help organisations understand the definition of, and assess appropriate levels, of transparency. It also provides practical steps to developing effective transparency information.

Anne Russell, head of regulatory policy projects at the ICO, said: “Being transparent is essential to building public trust in health and social care services. If people clearly understand how and why their personal information is being used, they are likely to feel empowered to share their health information to both access care and support initiatives such as medical research.   

“As new technologies are developed and deployed in the health sector, our personal information is becoming more important than ever to boost the efficiency and public benefit of these systems. With this bespoke guidance, we want to support health and social care organisations by improving their understanding of effective transparency, ensuring that they are clear, open and honest with everyone whose personal information is being used.”  

Following a public consultation earlier this year, the guidance incorporates feedback from health and social care organisations across the UK. Aimed at any organisation that delivers a heath or social care service or uses health and social care information, it supplements existing ICO guidance on the principle of transparency and the right to be informed.