What are the Caldicott Principles?

The eight Caldicott Principles govern handling of patient data in the NHS: (1) Justify the purpose, (2) Do not use personal data unless absolutely necessary, (3) Use the minimum necessary data, (4) Access on strict need-to-know basis, (5) Everyone must be aware of their responsibilities, (6) Comply with the law, (7) The duty to share is as important as the duty to protect confidentiality, and (8) Inform patients about how their data is used. They originated from Dame Fiona Caldicott’s 1997 review.