The history of Independent Group Advising on the Release of Data (IGARD)

In September 2010 NHS Digital (then Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC)) established the Data Access Advisory Group (DAAG) an independent monitoring and recommendations function, to improve transparency, accountability, and quality of decision-making and to build public trust.

Following consultation with the public in 2016, NHS Digital confirmed that the independent monitoring and recommendation function remained relevant and important and the NHS Digital Board then established the Independent Group Advising on the Release of Data (IGARD).

The aim was to give IGARD an expanded remit and to improve decision making by increasing transparency, accountability, participation, quality and consistency. From 1st February 2017 IGARD replaced DAAG and incorporated the data dissemination role of the General Practice Extraction Service Independent Advisory Group. 

IGARD’s role is to provide independent advice to the NHS Digital Board which is accountable in relation to the data it has responsibility for, in line with its governance arrangements, via the Executive Director acting as the NHS Digital Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO).