The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has
appointed the next National Data Guardian.
Dr Byrne becomes the second person to take up the role of
National Data Guardian (NDG), following Dame Fiona Caldicott, who
sadly died last
monthjust a matter of weeks before she was due to retire.
The National Data Guardian’s role is to help ensure that the
public can trust that health and care information is securely
safeguarded and used appropriately. The position was first
established in November 2014 and legislation was passed
in December 2018 to place the role on a statutory footing. Dame
Fiona held the role from November 2014 until her death in
February 2021; she was named the first statutory postholder on
April 1 2019.
Dr Byrne was selected through an open public appointment
process, which commenced in August 2020, to appoint a
successor to Dame Fiona. The Health and Social Care Committee has
also scrutinised and endorsed the
appointment, being satisfied that Dr Byrne has the
professional competence, personal independence and skills
required. She has been appointed for three years, in line with
the standard term set out in the Health and Social Care (National
Data Guardian) Act..
Dr Byrne has a background in psychiatry, with more than 20 years
of practical clinical experience. She intends to continue in her
post as a consultant psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley
NHS Foundation Trust, seeing patients on a part-time basis. She
has also held roles as the trust’s Caldicott Guardian and Chief
Clinical Information Officer, but will leave these positions on
her appointment as NDG.
Dr Byrne said: “I am delighted to take on this important role and
determined to work to ensure that citizens’ health and care data
is used to ensure the safety and quality of individual care, to
improve the health of the population, and to support the longer
term effectiveness of our health and care system through research
and innovation in treatment and models of care.
“In doing so, I will do my best to honour Dame Fiona’s legacy,
seeking always to speak up on behalf of citizens for trustworthy
use of data, as she did with such integrity over the many years
of her work.”
