Records are an essential part of health and care
Records and the information they contain, and the proper management of such records, are vital to the delivery of good quality healthcare services to our patients and delivery of our business activities. Our records are our lifeblood and corporate memory, providing evidence of the actions and decisions made in the provision of our healthcare services and business activities. Additionally, compliance with current Data Protection legislation and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 puts good records management high on the corporate agenda.
Records management is a discipline which ensures all staff within the Trust are responsible for the efficient and systematic control of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use and disposal of records, whatever format or media type they are held in. Information is only usable if it is correctly and legibly recorded in the first place, is then kept up-to-date (contemporaneous) and is easily and readily accessible when needed.