Privacy Advisory Committee

Introduction

PAC acts as an advisory committee to the Board of Link opens in new window NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) and to the Registrar General. The committee was originally set up as an independent body in 1990 to provide advice on requests for the release of patient identifiable information by the Information Services Division (ISD), part of NHS NSS, or by the Link opens in new window General Register Office for Scotland (GROS). The committee meets twice a year and has a majority non-medical / NHS membership. At these meetings PAC members review recent applications and discuss matters of precedent and principle. Between meetings, routine work of the committee is by mail or email. PAC advises ISD and GROS on the correct balance between protecting personal data and making data available for research, audit and other important uses and ensures that any information releases are carefully controlled.

For more information:

Decisions taken by the PAC - Precedents & Principles
How to request information
Role of the Caldicott Guardian
PAC guidance on decision making

If you have any queries about issues in relation to Data Protection or Confidentiality, contact the Data Protection Officer for your organisation or NHS Board. If they are unable to resolve the issue, then contact the Caldicott Guardian for your NHS Board. An up to date list of Caldicott Guardians is held at the Scottish Executive Health Department, St. Andrew's House, Edinburgh tel. 0131 244 2362.

Contact

For more information please contact PAC Administrator

PAC Administrator
Area 114E
NHS National Services Scotland
Information Services Division
Gyle Square
1 South Gyle Crescent
Edinburgh
EH12 9EB

Tel: (0131) 275 7777

email: NSS.PAC@nhs.net

Committee Membership

Professor Graeme Laurie: Professor of Law at the University of Edinburgh, Associated Editor of the Journal of Medical Ethics.
Margaret Dakers Thomson: Retired Research Fellow, Social Work/Social Policy with Aberdeen and Dundee Universities. Lay member Scotland A Research Ethics Committee and member of North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee, previously Chair NHS Highland Research Ethics Committee. Public Partner with NHS Quality Improvement Scotland member of its Research Management and Fair for All committees and Chair of Board Working Group, Patient Focus and Public Involvement. Lay representative NHS Education for Scotland and member of National GP Appraisal Steering Group. Independent assessor (Highlands and Islands) for two government funded trusts supporting individuals and families with disability.
Dr Andrew Riley: Dr Andrew Riley has 10 years experience in General Medical Practice. For the last 18 years, Dr Riley has specialised in Public Health Medicine. For the last 9 years as a Director of Public Health and Caldicott Guardian. Presently, Dr Riley is undertaking a secondment to the Scottish Government working as a Senior Medical Officer in the Chief Medical Officer Directorate.
Mrs Wendy Nganasurian: Lay Member of the Scottish Medicines Consortium and Chair of its Patient and Public Involvement Group; Chair of the Highland Formulary Sub-Group; Trustee of Asthma UK; Lay Member of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and Chair of the Health Informatics Centre Confidentiality and Privacy Advisory Committee.
Dr Rustam Al-Shahi: Medical Research Council clinician scientist and honorary consultant neurologist at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh. His research interest is in the clinical epidemiology of neurological diseases, especially stroke. He is a member of the Health Informatics Centre Confidentiality and Privacy Advisory Committee, and was a member of the Royal College of Physicians of London's Working Party, which produced the fourth edition of "Guidelines on the practice of Ethics Committees in Medical Research with Human Participants", due for publication in 2007.