ABSTRACT
The term 'safe-haven procedures' stands for a set of administrative arrangements designed to ensure the safety and secure handling of confidential patient information. This includes having one designated contact point per physical site through which all confidential information is to be disclosed or accepted. These procedures must cover: management arrangements, the staff responsible for managing the information, the physical location of offices/room and devices for the receiving, storing and handling of information, staff access to information in their work, and the procedures for the handling of information. The records management policy for general practice will give members of staff guidance on the management of records. All records should be handled in a way that the information within them is of high quality in content and according to the storage medium properly preserved and is kept for a period of time which is specified by its content.
