Confidentiality

Information (data) which is either “personal” or ”special category “ data is subject to a duty of confidentiality. This means that it should only be shared for a specific lawful purpose or where appropriate consent has been obtained.

“Personal data” is about an identifiable adult. The adult can be identified from the information either by name or by association, because of the content of the information itself.

“Special category data” consists of the following information about an adult: their racial or ethnic origin, political opinion, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data (where used for identification purposes), data concerning health, data concerning a person’s sex life and their sexual orientation. This information is afforded particular protection and careful consideration should be given before sharing it.

There may be occasions when it is inappropriate to share information that does not specifically identify an individual, but it is treated as confidential for other reasons. These could include because it is commercially sensitive, or because of a separate agreement or contract requiring confidentiality. This type of information is not covered by this protocol and advice should be sought if this is a genuine concern.