UK Caldicott Guardian Council

The UK Caldicott Guardian Council (UKCGC) is the national body for Caldicott Guardians.

A Caldicott Guardian is a senior person responsible for protecting the confidentiality of people’s health and care information and making sure it is used properly.

All NHS organisations and local authorities which provide social services must have a Caldicott Guardian.

The UKCGC is a sub-group of the National Data Guardian’s Panel

When making decisions or giving guidance, Caldicott Guardians will often refer to the Caldicott principles, which can be found in the Information Governance Review. The UKCGC has also produced A Manual for Caldicott Guardians.

The Council is not a professional body and does not have responsibility for regulating Caldicott Guardian activities. It is therefore unable to assist with enquiries related to the conduct of individual Caldicott Guardians.

The Council also has its own website with more information about meetings, events, local networks, its digital forum and more.

Aims of the Council

The Council aims to:

  • be a point of contact for all Caldicott Guardians and for health and care organisations seeking advice on the Caldicott principles
  • enable Caldicott Guardians to share information, views and experience
  • encourage consistent standards and training for Caldicott Guardians
  • help to develop guidance and policies relating to the Caldicott principles

Constitution

Read the Council’s constitution for 2021-2024.

Manual for Caldicott Guardians

The UK Caldicott Guardian Council (UKCGC) has produced an online manual for Caldicott Guardians. It is intended to be a starting point for newly-appointed Caldicott Guardians, a refresher for the more experienced, and a pointer to possibilities for professional development and support. The Council would welcome feedback to ukcgcsecretariat@nhs.net.

Caldicott Guardian registration

All organisations which are required to have a Caldicott Guardian should ensure their up-to-date details are on the Caldicott Guardian Register.

The register is used by NHS Digital to store and update Caldicott Guardians’ details, and by the Council to facilitate contact and dissemination of information.

Contact details

ukcgcsecretariat@nhs.net