The Data Protection Act 1998

The Data Protection Act (1998) requires that personal details and information must be kept secure and confidential. Confidentiality is necessary in any Health and Care Social setting because it maintains between the individuals and the organisation. An environment of trust encourages people to be open and honest with those who care for them. They provide all the details necessary so that they receive the best care possible. The employers are accountable to the regulators for protecting confidentiality .Preserving privacy and confidentiality is essential so that they do not risk the discipline of being struck off a professional register. Each member of the staff has a responsibility to ensure that the care record are accurate recorded. A clear information will aid patients to participate fully in decision making about their

Data Protection Act 1998 – gives individuals the right to know what information is held about them, and those that processes personal information must comply with eight principles, which makes sure that personal information is fairly and lawfully processed; processed for limited purposes; adequate, relevant and not excessive; accurate and up to date; not kept for longer than is necessary; processed in line with your rights; secure; not transferred to other countries without adequate protection;

Any individual has the right to obtain information stored about them at any given time.

The Data Protection Act 1998 is a piece of legislation which defines the law on processing data of people living within the United Kingdom.

As a support practitioner all writing and recording must be written accurately, factually and must be relevant. All information and entries are to be dated and signed . All information and paperwork must be legible and there is to be no use of abbreviations or jargon.

8. Personal Data should not be transferred to any other country unless it has got an adequate level of protection

The Data Protection Act states that you must only collect information that you need for a specific purpose and keep it secure, ensure that it is relevant and up to date to guarantee that no changes in medication or health status goes unnoticed or unaccounted

Understand the application of principles of professional engagement with service users of health and social care services.

Information Commissioner’s Office (2012) Introduction to The Data Protection Act 1998. [Online] Available from: http://www.ico.org.uk/~/media/documents/library/Corporate/Research_and_reports/ico_presentation_EVOC_20120528.ashx [Accessed: 11th October 2013]

* Processed in line with the rights of individuals - this includes the right to be informed of all the information held about them, to prevent processing of their personal information for marketing purposes, and to compensation if they can prove they have been damaged by a data controller's non-compliance with the Act.

The legal requirement in relation to security and confidentiality are described by in the Data Protection Act 1998 and says that anyone who records information about individuals is classed as a data processor under the Act and is required by law to process the data fairly and lawfully. The Act prevents the unauthorised use of data and so protects the privacy of individuals. The Act also says never to disclose information that my organisation holds about individuals.

This act applies to all organisations that process data relating to their staff and customers. It is the main legal framework in UK that protects personal data. The act contains 8 data protection principles which are:

They are to be treated as confidential and kept secure as per Privacy Act 1998

a) Data protection Act (1998) – DPA ‘It is the main piece of legislation that governs the protection of personal data in the UK.’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Protection_Act_1998).

The data protection act protects people who are identifiable from their information and data being shared. The information will be bank details, address and billing and some other personal details.