Q: What are the legal requirements for retention of records regarding children who have been on the 'At Risk' register?
A: The Records Management: NHS code of practice (Part 2) Annex D1 stipulates that "all types of records relating to children and young people" should be retained until the patient's 25th birthday or 26th if the young person was 17 at conclusion of the treatment, or eight years after death.(1)
Q: What are the legal requirements for retention of records regarding children who have been on the 'At Risk' register?
A: The Records Management: NHS code of practice (Part 2) Annex D1 stipulates that "all types of records relating to children and young people" should be retained until the patient's 25th birthday or 26th if the young person was 17 at conclusion of the treatment, or eight years after death.(1)
Working Together to Safeguard Children: A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children states that: "The GP should retain child protection initial conference and review reports as part of the child's health record, where practicable. Ultimately, it is down to the individual GP, depending on their type of health recording system, to make the best judgement on how to incorporate this information into the child's health record."(2)
Once the information is within the health record it should be retained in accordance with the Records Management: NHS code of practice.(1)
References
1. Department of Health. Records management: NHS code of practice. London: DH; 2006. Available from: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4131747
2. Department for Education. Working Together to Safeguard Children: A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. London: DfE; 2010. Available from: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationdetail/page1/DCSF-00305-2010
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