'This book provides the background and practical guidance for all those of us who face challenges for the way we handle medical records. Written by a lawyer and a clinical informatician it provides the fusion between the legal issues and the practical clinical ones. There are clear explanations of the current legal framework set in the context of real-world applications; the more complex issues that have a significant impact on Policy are also dealt with in depth. The background to 'consent' and the impact that implied and explicit consent can have on the way records are collect and used is particularly well covered. This book has many audiences all of whom will gain from the easily accessible information within it. Caldicott guardians research ethics committee members and all those researchers and clinicians who need to analyse patient information will have a particular need for this handbook. Patients and the public should use it to understand how their healthcare information is protected and used. Its arrival could not have come at a better time' Sir John Pattison Former Director of Research Analysis and Information Department of Health England