A records management policy statement underpins effective management of an authority's records and information. It demonstrates to employees and stakeholders that managing records is important to the authority and serves as a mandate for the activities of the records manager

3.1

NHS Borders Management Policy Statement

A record is recorded information, in paper or electronic format, created or received and maintained by NHS Borders in the transaction of business or the conduct of affairs and kept as evidence of such activity. Records include charters, deeds, legal documents, minutes, reports, accounts, agreements, licenses, registers, project work, clinical, client and staff files etc.

For the purposes of the Board, a record is recorded information that has been created or received by the Board in the regular course of its business activities or in the pursuance of legal transactions.

As such, all records are the property of NHS Borders and not of the employee, agent, contractor, patient or client. This applies regardless of the physical location of the record, or whether it is held in off-site storage (i.e. deposited with a 3rd party organisation specifically contracted to store information on behalf of NHS Borders), in a computer or within a service provider's system.

NHS Borders' records constitute an auditable account of the Board's activities, which provides evidence of the business, actions, decisions and resulting policies formed by the organisation.

Records represent a vital asset, which support the daily functions of the Board and protect the interests and rights of staff, patients and members of the public who have dealings with the organisation. Effective record keeping supports efficiency, consistency and continuity of work and enables the Board to deliver a wide range of sustainable services. It ensures that the correct information is: captured, stored, maintained, retrieved and destroyed or preserved in accordance with business need, statutory and legislative requirements.

Records management is an essential part of enabling the Health Board to achieve priority outcomes that reflect what is most important to the people and communities of the Scottish Borders. NHS Borders will maintain records management policy, procedures and practices across all its service areas. These will be based upon the requirements of the Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011, records management best practice and the principles detailed in the Records Management Policy.

Records Management is a corporate function within NHS Borders, and brings together responsibilities for all records held by the Board, from creation through to disposition.

Records Management is concerned with the systematic creation, capture, storage and retrieval or records throughout their lifecycle.