If you will no longer be processing confidential patient or service user information without consent, and therefore no longer require support from CAG under the regulations, you should inform the Confidentiality Advice Team (CAT) as soon as possible.
Complete the Section 251 Support End Closure Report Form and submit it to CAG by email along with all relevant supporting documentation.
Once this closure report has been acknowledged, ‘Section 251 support’ will no longer be in effect and there will be no lawful basis to process identifiable information without consent. Applicants are responsible for ensuring they have informed all parties covered under support that the support has expired to avoid inadvertent breaches of confidentiality.
The Confidentiality Advice Team will write to the applicant to confirm receipt of the closure report. If the application is research, the letter will be copied to the relevant Research Ethics Committee.
The application will remain on the
approval register on the HRA website for at least 12 months following notification of application closure.
Page last updated: 18 December 2022