Health and Social Care (National Data Guardian) Act 2018

Overview of the Act

Reproduced verbatim from the Explanatory Notes published with the Act on legislation.gov.uk (Crown Copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0). Explanatory Notes are prepared by the responsible government department and are not part of the Act.

The purpose of the Health and Social Care (National Data Guardian) Act 2018 is to establish a National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care, and to promote the provision of advice and guidance about the processing of health and adult social care data in England.

The Act provides for the establishment of a statutory office holder to be known as the National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care. The National Data Guardian may publish formal guidance, and give informal advice, assistance and information, about the processing of health and adult social care data in England. The Act imposes a duty on public bodies within the health and adult social care sector (and private organisations who contract with them to deliver health or adult social care services) to have regard to the National Data Guardian’s guidance. The Act also makes provision about the administrative and financial operation of the National Data Guardian’s office.

The Act contains six sections covering the following headings: National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care; Interpretation; Consequential amendments; Extent; Commencement; and Short Title