Dr Byrne becomes the second person to take up the role of National Data Guardian (NDG), following Dame Fiona Caldicott, who sadly died last month just 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 commented on her role as the new National Data Guardian “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.”
Read the press release in full here
Dr Bryne has confirmed to speak at The Caldicott Guardian National Annual Conference 2021 which is taking place virtually on Thursday 13th May 2021.