National bodies relating to health archives and records
National bodies relating to records management and archives
Freedom of Information / Data Protection
Groups / societies relating to health archives and records
Networks / portals relating to health archives and records
Centres relating to health archives and records
Email distribution lists relating to records management and archives
Local websites relating to health archives and records
National bodies relating to health archives and records
Department of Health (DH) is a Government organisation, which leads and supports NHS and social care organisations in England. The website includes guidance on NHS records management and archives, such as the Records Management NHS Code of Practice, which includes recommended retention periods for records.
Institute of Health Record & Information Management aims to provide qualifications at different levels, as well as career and professional assistance for members working in the field of health records, information, clinical coding and related professions.
National bodies relating to records management and archives
The National Archives (TNA) is responsible for looking after the records of central government and the courts of law, and providing public access to them. The National Archives covers England, Wales and the United Kingdom, and was formed in April 2003 by bringing together the Public Record Office and the Historical Manuscripts Commission. It advises government departments and the wider public sector on best practice in records management as well as selecting government records of enduring historical value which will be preserved forever. The website includes guidance and publications about record-keeping, as well as an on-line catalogue of its own collections.
TNA also maintain the National Register of Archives (NRA), which is a central point for information about the nature and location of manuscripts relating to British history. The lists and catalogues describing archival holdings in the United Kingdom and overseas can be consulted at TNA, and the indexes to these are available online (searchable by names of corporate bodies, persons and families). There is also a directory of contact details for record repositories in the UK called ARCHON. This includes institutions elsewhere in the world which have substantial collections of manuscripts noted under the indexes to the NRA.
The National Archives of Scotland (NAS) is the equivalent organisation in Scotland, which is an agency of the Scottish Executive, and has similar resources available on its website.
Society of Archivists (SoA) is the principal professional body for archivists, archive conservators and records managers in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Its principal aims are to promote the care and preservation of archives and the better administration of archive repositories, to advance the training of its members, and to encourage relevant research and publication.
Records Management Society (RMS) is a professional association for all those who work in or are concerned with records or information management, regardless of their professional or organisational status or qualifications. Its aims are to improve the status of records management and records managers, and support professional development.
Freedom of Information / Data Protection
Information Commissioners Office (ICO) is an independent official body, appointed by the Queen. The Commissioner is responsible for administering the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Scottish Information Commissioner is responsible for enforcing and promoting the right to access public information created by the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.
Ministry of Justice is responsible for information rights law, including freedom of information and data protection. Prior to 9 May 2007, those responsibilities lay with the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA), and that site has been retained for archive and information purposes only.
Freedom of Information in the NHS, includes guidance, advice, and links to approved NHS publication schemes.
Groups / societies relating to health archives and records
International Network for the History of Hospitals.
European Association for the History of Medicine and Health. A membership body for those working in the history of medicine or a related field. It aims to provide a forum for researchers and historians, to promote and foster research, teaching and scientific co-operation and to advance the education of the public.
London Museums of Health and Medicine Group. The Group is a membership body consisting of registered museums, or those working towards registered status, in this field in London. The website provides summary links about each of its member museums, links to websites and news and other information.
Society for the Social History of Medicine. The Society is a membership body, UK based but with an international membership, for those interested in the history of health, welfare, medical science and practice. Its activities include publishing a journal and organising conferences.
Health Libraries Group. A special interest group of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, HLG members work in medical, health, nursing and other allied professions. Their website includes news, information about publications, training and events and links.
Networks / portals relating to health archives and records
Access to Archives (A2A) is the English strand of the UK Archives Network. The A2A database contains searchable catalogues describing archives held locally in England and Wales and dating from the eighth century to the present day.
Finding the Right Clinical Notes is an online database of descriptions of personal health records held in Scotland. The website also contains information and resources for researchers interested in using PHRs as primary sources.
Scotland and Medicine. Administered by the Scottish Museums Council, this site highlights collections relating to medicine held in archives, libraries and museums in Scotland and provides news of exhibitions and other events of interest.
Centres relating to health archives and records
Wellcome Trust is an independent charity funding research to improve human and animal health. It is the UK's largest non-governmental source of funds for biomedical research.
UK Centre for the History of Nursing and Midwifery . The centre was founded by the Royal College of Nursing and Queen Margaret University College Edinburgh and it leads UK wide research activity through a number of universities and other institutions. The website includes historical information and other resources of interest to historians.
Academy of Royal Medical Colleges. The Academy co-ordinates the work of the Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties.
Email distribution lists relating to records management and archives
Freedom of Information listserv
London Museums of Health and Medicine listserv
Local websites relating to health archives and records
The Workhouse. A privately produced site, this provides a wealth of information about workhouses and their history, including workhouse infirmaries, which many hospitals developed from.
NHS history - Geoffrey Rivett. Detailed historical information about the development of the NHS, and of hospitals prior to it, by the author of 'From Cradle to Grave: fifty years of the NHS'
Winwick Hospital remembered. A site produced by a former nurse at Winwick Hospital, a psychiatric institution near Warrington which closed in 1997. It includes transcripts from the hospital magazine and recollections from those who trained and worked there.
Papworth Archives Project. A site created by Cambridgeshire Archives Service as part of a project funded by the Wellcome Trust's Research Resources in Medical History scheme. It contains much information about Papworth Hospital and the Papworth Village Settlement and their archives.
Oxfordshire Health Archives selects and cares for the historic archives of NHS hospitals in Oxfordshire and provides advice. It covers 22 Oxfordshire hospitals, 8 administrative bodies, and several nurse training schools, as well as related bodies like the League of Friends.