Background

The issues surrounding the use of clinical recordings (images, video, audio) generated within the NHS and used (and stored) within the higher education sector were explored by the original JISC funded CHERRI (Common Healthcare Education Recordings Re-usability Infrastructure)  project undertaken by the University of Edinburgh.  The report from CHERRI concluded that whilst issues relating to the ethics, copyright and patient permission were of importance, there were also issues such as storage, re-use that should be dealt with (to demonstrate good practice, taking responsibility seriously and to generate trust and reassurance for the patient).  The report also concluded that there was a comprehensive but perplexing range of advice and guidance available and proposed the development of a UK-wide common consent and licence model for the use and sharing of clinical recordings.

The recommendations were further explored as well as how the model could work in practice, in CHERRI 2 undertaken by the University of Bristol.  Originally aimed to be a short project, this was extended to accommodate further thinking, research and activities of other interested parties (e.g. the General Medical Council) in relation to these issues.  A stakeholders’ meeting convened in November 2009, sought the endorsement of ‘next steps’ to enable more effective and trusted use of clinical recordings, representing a move towards implementing a common consent and licensing model or framework.  These ‘next steps’ were endorsed fully and supported by the NHS-HE Forum.  The stakeholder meeting also culminated in identifying a need for the development of a Code of Practice, which could be jointly agreed by all within the UK who have an interest and stake in this topic.

As a result of these previous projects the Strategic Content Alliance has asked JISC Digital Media to run a third

project to organise activities and events to bring interested parties together to form a jointly agreed Code of Practice.  This has the potential to generate transformational change in the way that clinical recordings are created and managed by all parties, together with their associated rights information.

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