NEWS

Code of Practice for Information

Security Management

The Department of Health has recently published the comprehensive

'Code of Practice for Information Security Management‘ — a document

that replaces the guidance previously issued by the NHS Executive

Information Management Centre and the NHS Information Authority.

This new publication is a fundamental Code of Practice for all

organisations that access or process NHS information, including

Social Care and third party organisations such as commercial,

voluntary, social housing, etc. The Information Governance

Toolkit determines the compliance requirements for healthcare

organisations; all organisations will be required to complete

and submit a Statement of Compliance (SoC) with the elements

defined in the IGT in order to establish or maintain a connection to

the NHS

network, N3.

We understand that NHS Trusts will also have to submit an acceptable

SoC by March 2008 to replace the NHSnet Code of Connection, which

has been used in a caretaker role for N3.

The Code of Practice for Information Security Management can be

downloaded at:

www.dh.gov.uk/en/publicationsandstatistics/publications/

publicationspolicyandguidance/dh_074142

Good practice guides, which replace the System Operation notices

previously produced by the NHS IA, are available from the NHS CfH

Information Governance team at: http://wwn.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/igsecurity/gpg (N3

connection required).

Hytec can advise on all aspects of the new NHS Code of Practice,

IGT, GPGs and also all aspects of the new UK government IA strategy.