All NHS organisations are required to have a Caldicott Guardian whose role is to protect the confidentiality of patient and service-user information, and enable appropriate information sharing.

The Caldicott Guardian for New Wokingham Surgery is:

Susan Vickers
Practice Manager

The term Caldicott refers to a review commissioned by the Chief Medical Officer. A review committee, under the chairmanship of Dame Fiona Caldicott, investigated ways in which patient information is used in the NHS. The review committee also made a number of recommendations aimed at improving the way the NHS handles and protects patient information.

These are summarised by Eight Information Management Principles:

1.     Justify the purpose(s) of using confidential information.
2.     Use Confidential Information only when necessary.
3.     Use the minimum necessary confidential information.
4.     Access on a strict need to know basis.
5.     Everyone with access to confidential information should be aware of their responsibilities.
6.     Understand and comply with the law.
7.     The duty to share information for individual care is as important as the duty to protect patient confidentiality.
8.     Inform patients and service users about how their confidential information is used.