NIGB

NIGB

National Information Governance Board for Health and Social Care. An independent statutory body (non-governmental public body, quango), established in 2007 from the remnants of the Care Record Development Board, to promote, improve and monitor information governance (IG) in health and adult social care. The NIGB regards IG as essential for the lawful and ethical use of patient information, both for the benefit of the individual to whom the information relates and for the public good.
The NIGB sets the requirements and standards that the NHS must achieve to ensure it fulfils its obligations to guarantee that information is handled legally, securely, efficiently and effectively. It advises on the appropriate use, sharing and protection of patient and service user information, and on exercising powers under Section 251 of the NHS Act 2006, which allow setting the duty of confidentiality aside where other legal routes are not available. It advises the Secretary of State for Health, and through appropriate channels, patients, service users and carers; health and social care organisations and practitioners; researchers and others seeking to use patient and service user information.