Covid-19 ICO Data Protection
GUIDANCE FROM THE INFORMATION COMMISSIONERS OFFICE (ICO)
The ICO has updated and supplemented its advice regarding the protection of data during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is a useful recap on the processes health organisations should be following to ensure they are compliant with their data protection obligations and references a number of important guidance documents.
The information can be accessed via the link below:
https://ico.org.uk/global/data-protection-and-coronavirus-information-hub/data-protection-and-coronavirus/health-social-care-organisations-and-coronavirus-what-you-need-to-know/
As lockdown eases and people return to work the ICO have also published some guidance for:
1) Employers and organisations that are planning on asking people if they have experienced COVID-19 symptoms or are planning to introduce staff testing:
https://ico.org.uk/global/data-protection-and-coronavirus-information-hub/coronavirus-recovery-data-protection-advice-for-organisations/testing/
2) Employers and organisations that are planning on using CCTV, thermal cameras or other surveillance methods as part of testing or ongoing monitoring of staff:
https://ico.org.uk/global/data-protection-and-coronavirus-information-hub/coronavirus-recovery-data-protection-advice-for-organisations/surveillance/
PLEASE NOTE:
This information has been produced by the ICO for organisations including health care practitioners.
It provides some guidance for information sharing during the Covid-19 pandemic but we would remind you that that responsibility for sharing information will always fall to you as data controllers and approval should always be sought from your DPO or data protection lead.
