The Information Commissioner’s Office is inviting contributions to a public consultation on new guidelines for sharing personal information.

The ICO launched the consultation last month in response to queries from local authorities, the police and other bodies about the increasing regularity with which sensitive information on individuals is being shared.

Ian Bourne, head of data protection projects at the ICO, said people working ‘on the ground’ were often unclear about the rules. He said the framework would help “establish good practice”, clear up confusion and help organisations comply with the Data Protection Act.

He added: “Good practice in this area is of paramount importance. Organisations that share information must do so responsibly. If they do not, they risk losing individuals’ trust.”

The framework code of practice for sharing personal information is designed to be adapted by organisations depending on their specific needs, whether they are hospitals and GP’s surgeries sharing patient information or credit reference agencies providing information to banks.

It is designed for use in circumstances where information sharing is carried out on a routine basis between organisations or different departments in the same organisation.

The 18-page document sets out the legal position on information sharing, warning organisations that it must be necessary, relevant and not excessive; that individuals must be told why their information is being shared; that record s must not be kept longer than necessary; and that individuals must have access to their records.

Firms should carry out a ‘privacy impact assessment’, it says, assessing both the potential benefits and negative effects of sharing information, such as eroding personal privacy or causing damage, distress or embarrassment to individuals.

The deadline for submissions to the ICO’s consultation is 1 October and the results will be used in the revised framework, to be published later this year. Visit http://www.ico.gov.uk/Home/about_us/consultations/our_consultations.aspx for more information.