The Confidentiality Advisory Group (CAG) is an independent body which provides expert advice on the use of confidential patient information without consent, for which there is a very specific basis in law.
This includes providing advice to the Health Research Authority for research uses, as well as advice to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care for non-research uses.
Studies submitted to CAG can follow two review pathways: precedent set or full review.
The precedent set review pathway has been developed to allow a more timely review process for applications that share the same issues as previous applications that have already been reviewed by CAG.
Number of studies receiving a final outcome
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of studies receiving a final outcome from CAG has remained stable, with a small increase in both full review and precedent set reviews during 2019 and 2020.
In 2023 the number of applications receiving an outcome for full review for non-research purposes rose significantly due to a national application overseen by NHS England being passed to Integrated Care Boards to manage locally.
This meant that an application that previously would have counted as one application, now has 26 separate applications.
The total number of applications (including full and precedent set) receiving a final outcome each year was:
- 2018 – 122
- 2019 – 141
- 2020 – 141
- 2021 – 127
- 2022 – 116
- 2023 – 138
Review times
Our aim is for precedent set studies submitted to CAG to be given a final outcome within 30 days
For studies submitted for full review our aim is to give a final outcome within 60 days.
Between 2018 and 2023 the median number of days taken to issue a final outcome was well within our target.
In the chart below you can see the median number of days to issue a final outcome broken down by whether the review was a full review or precedent set review, and whether it was for research or non-research purposes.
Latest review times
Between January 2024 and March 2024 (quarter four 2023/24) the median number of days taken to receive a final outcome from Confidentiality Advisory Group was:
- Full review (research) - 33 days
- Full review (non-research) - 21 days
- Precedent set review (research) - 22 days
- Precedent set review (non-research - 42 days
Between April 2024 and June 2024 (quarter one 2024/25) the median number of days taken to receive a final outcome from Confidentiality Advisory Group was:
- Full review (research) - 27 days
- Full review (non-research) - 24 days
- Precedent set review (research) - 23.5 days
- Precedent set review (non-research - 7 days
Quarterly breakdown of review times
Below you can see a quarterly breakdown (every three months) of review times for CAG between 2018 and 2023: