2024-2025 – GP Practice Data Security and Protection Toolkit – DEADLINE 30 JUNE 2025
FAO: Practice Managers, GP Practice DSPT Leads
A reminder, if you haven’t yet submitted, that your GP practice’s 2024-2025 Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) must be submitted before and no later than 30 June 2025. All practices are required to complete the DSPT on time and must achieve the minimum compliance level ‘Standards Met’ (by answering all the mandatory DSPT evidence items under category 4).
The DSPT is not a questionnaire, the toolkit is designed to help protect the practice from personal data breaches and cyber-attacks if you work through the mandatory evidence items. Every year the practice must implement or review and update existing documentation, policies and processes required by the DSPT. Over the last 12 months we have seen that non-compliance with the DSPT is likely to come to light through data breaches and patient complaints.
Please do not hesitate to contact your practice Data Protection Officer (DPO) or your GP IT Facilitator if you need any help with completing the DSPT.
If your practice is in Waltham Forest, please follow instructions from your DPO Radha Muthuswamy.
This year please make sure you do the following:
- *NEW MANDATORY EVIDENCE ITEM* Implement multi-factor authentication for all digital systems that can be remotely accessed: DSPT 2024-2025 Evidence Item 4.5.3 (Mandatory)
- Review and update your information governance documentation, policies, and processes
- Review and update staff training and awareness
- Review and update your business continuity plan. Contact your GP IT Facilitator if you need help.
NHS England DSPT training dates
Anyone new to completing the DSPT or requiring a refresh, we highly recommend that you attend one of the following NHS England DSPT webinar sessions:
DSPT 2024-2025 for Dentists, GPs, Local Authorities, Opticians, Others (including hospice and charities), Pharmacists and University (including researchers)
- Thursday 19th June 2025 12.30-13.00
- Thursday 26th June 2025 12.30-13.00
Please click on the web link to find joining instructions: News
NHS NEL GP DPO help guides – SharePoint site
As we did last year, we have published DSPT help guides on our SharePoint site: A3A8R_GPDSPT – Home (sharepoint.com). If you don’t have access, please click on the link to submit your request: A3A8R_GPDSPT – Home (sharepoint.com).
The help guides contain useful links, templates and advice on how to comply with the DSPT evidence items. Please note any evidence items that require information from the NEL ICB GP IT team have been collated and included in the help guides.
Data Security and Protection Toolkit Support
NEL ICB GP IT evidence
We have collated the evidence on your behalf and published the information in our help guides on our SharePoint site – you can download or copy and paste the information for your DSPT submission. If you don’t have access to the SharePoint site, please click on the link to submit your request: A3A8R_GPDSPT – Home (sharepoint.com).
NEL ICB support
If you have any questions about the DSPT or the GP IT evidence, please raise a service desk ticket with the NHS NEL Service Desk at Itservicedesk.nelicb@nhs.net or 0300 303 6778. Please mark your request with “FAO NEL GP DPO – DSPT Query”.