Secure Document Storage

Complying with The Data Protection Act

Secure document storage has never been so crucial ever since the Data Protection Act 1988.

If you are a business that holds personal details of customers or clients, it’s crucial that you’re aware of the regulations detailed in the Data Protection Act. Secure document storage should be an intrinsic part of every business’s administrative processes, ensuring any sensitive documents are kept safe and secure.

The Data Protection Act 1988

The Data Protection Act outlines UK law on how data is processed on identifiable living people in order to protect their rights and identity. The Act falls in line with the European Directive of 1995 that was introduced to help protect individual’s fundamental rights and freedoms in respect to their privacy and personal data. Businesses and organisations are legally obliged to comply with the Data Protection Act prompting a tightening of procedures when it comes to secure document storage.

Sensitive Documents need Secure Storage

Businesses and organisations such as solicitors, medical services and dentists that hold personal data are required to comply with the Act. But also arts organisations, such as theatres and those that undertake direct marketing, need to be aware of how they store personal information. This data includes names, addresses, bank details or even opinions expressed about an individual (say from a previous employer, doctor or bank). There are fundamental rules of good information handling, including opting for secure document storage. If information is passed onto a third party, it needs to have the individual’s consent first – this is often achieved by marketing strategies such as asking individuals to tick a consent box or form.

Filofile Secure Document Storage for Peace of Mind

There are however stricter rules about personal information deemed sensitive – sensitive data includes information about an individuals religious beliefs, ethnic origin, political opinions, physical or mental health conditions or offences committed. Although there are instances where this information can be used, you need to meet the Data Protection Acts conditions first to ensure this data is only used where there is an essential need to do so.

If you haven’t incorporated secure document storage solutions into your business, you could be vulnerable to acting illegally when it comes to protecting data and information.

Filofile secure document storage services

Filofile document management provides secure document storage facilities for valuable papers, files of documents, engineering drawings, healthcare records, boxed files, media files; secure records destruction when documents are no longer needed; complete scanning and image hosting for a range of media files.

We use the world’s leading document management software – so no matter how you like to run your business you can be sure we have a system that’s more than capable of coping with your requirements for file tracking and providing state of the art traceability.

If you require further information call us on 0845 602 7006 and we’ll be happy to talk to you.

Secure Storage of Medical Records

The health care sector is faced with ever increasing issues over confidentiality and secure storage of patient files and data. Hospital medical records storage is a constantly growing problem as it is not only data on paper files and physician notes but also electronic data as well. Filofile secure records management offers highly secure facilities for keeping confidential files plus efficient collection and boxing of files and data, cataloging data and when required the safe destruction of redundant files.

"It is essential that our clients are able to ensure that their medical and patient records are readily available and with the knowledge that they are safe and secure at all times" says Simon Barber, Managing Director of Filofile.

To ensure the safe, secure and reliable storage of medical records, physicians case notes, and electronic data, is what Filofile does - it is their primary business.

Fundamental Secure Records Storage

The guiding principle of secure records management is to ensure that information is available when and where it is needed, in an organised and efficient manner, and in a well maintained environment. Filofile provides a secure records storage facility.

Organisations must ensure that their records are:

Authentic
It must be possible to prove that records are what they purport to be and who created them, by keeping a record of their management through time. Where information is later added to an existing document within a record, the added information must be signed and dated. With electronic records, changes and additions must be identifiable through audit trails.

Accurate
Records must accurately reflect the transactions that they document.

Accessible
Records must be readily available when needed.

Complete
Records must be sufficient in content, context and structure to reconstruct the relevant activities and transactions that they document.

Comprehensive
Records must document the complete range of an organisation's business.

Compliant
Records must comply with any record keeping requirements resulting from legislation, audit rules and other relevant regulations.

Effective
Records must be maintained for specific purposes and the information contained in them must meet those purposes. Records will be identified and linked to the business process to which they are related.

Secure
Records must be securely maintained to prevent unauthorised access, alteration, damage or removal. They must be stored in a secure environment, the degree of security reflecting the sensitivity and importance of the contents. Where records are migrated across changes in technology, the evidence preserved must remain authentic and accurate.