Digital and Data Involvement Group  

The digital and data involvement group was set up in March 2025 to help the NHS understand what is important to local people in relation to digital technology and the sharing of information, and make sure services are what people need.  

The group is made up of members of the public alongside digital and data leaders, working together to represent the views of communities in Kent and Medway on digital and data priorities.

Over the past year the group has been working, with digital and data leads from health and care organisations, local authorities and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector organisations to co-design a set of principles to guide how health and care organisations in Kent and Medway use and protect public data.  

Group members Sumi, Graham and Keisha talk about what the Kent and Medway Social Licence means to them in a short video. 

'Our data, for our good: How we use your information to help us all', also known as the Kent and Medway Social Licence, provides a clear standard for the responsible and transparent use of health data across Kent and Medway. Helping build public trust and confidence in how health and care organisations across Kent and Medway use people's data. Read the principles below:

A graphic showing the Kent and Medway Social Licence principles

 

 

Our data, for our good: How we use your information to help us all

Principle 1: Listening to communities

  • We will make sure local people are at the heart of making decisions on use of data.  

  • We will speak with local people regularly about this. 

  • We want local people to feel respected and involved in data use.  

Principle 2: Honest and clear

  • We will be as honest and clear as possible about how data is used.  

  • We will tell you what you need to know on who is using data, why, and how.  

  • We will tell you how data use helps you and local resident.  

  • We only use data for specific reasons and will tell you if this changes.   

Principle 3: Keeping data safe

  • We will use the most up to date and robust security measures to protect people's data. We will explain what we do to protect people's data. If something goes wrong, we will explain what happened and how we will fix it.  

  • We expect all organisations such as non-NHS organisations to follow the same high standards. People (not just computers) will always check how data is used, this includes the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

Principle 4: Your choice

  • We will tell you about your rights and choices when it comes to using your data.  

  • We will explain what happens if you choose to say no (opt out) to data use, and we will do this in a fair and honest way - without trying to pressure you.  

  • We respect that people want more control over how their health data is used.

Principle 5: Fair and correct data

  • We agree to use data in a fair and equal way, listening to concerns people may have around data use, this includes people who have poorer health outcomes.  

  • We will tell you about your rights, the risks, and the benefits of data use.  

  • We will work hard to keep data correct and up to date. We will also urge people to check their own records to make sure their data is right.  

  • Everyone - along with staff and the public - shares the job of making sure data is correct. 

Read more about co-designing the social licence  in an article written by Isabel Clark, Strategic Community Partnerships and Insight Lead, Health Innovation Kent, Surrey, Sussex, and Clare Delap, Head of Involving People and Communities, NHS Kent and Medway.