How data protection consultancy helped an air ambulance charity innovate and save lives

Background

Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) was set up in 1989 and offers 24/7/365 life-saving support using its two helicopters, one relief helicopter and four rapid response vehicles. KSS responds to approximately 3,200 incidents per year – 9 a day – by bringing the emergency room to the patient. The vast majority of the charity’s funds come directly from donations and fundraising, which means it is regulated by many industry bodies:

• Companies House
• The Charity Commission
• The Fundraising Regulator
• The Gambling Commission
• The Care Quality Commission
• The Civil Aviation Authority

Getting data protection right is therefore both complex and important. This, combined with KSS’s strategic objective of “aspiring for excellence”, led Rebecca Kenny, head of governance and compliance, to seek help from an experienced data protection consultant to support the charity’s ability to be innovative in both fundraising and service delivery. Rebecca had the experience to know what needed to be done, but wanted someone to “keep her on the straight and narrow”.

“Having the support there has made us so much braver in our decision making”

- Rebecca Kenny, Head of Governance and Compliance

The solution

DQM GRC’s data protection consultancy was ideal for Rebecca and KSS. We were contracted for one day a month of consultancy, delivered by our Head of Consultancy Louise Brooks. KSS needed help in various areas including articulating its legal basis for processing, understanding its duty of confidentiality in a medical context and negotiating data sharing agreements. However, over time, Louise has helped move the charity’s strategy forward by ensuring each goal is defined by specific actions that need to be completed, allowing KSS to progress more efficiently. She has also advised on engaging a prospecting agency to help KSS with ambitious fundraising targets. This was initially seen as somewhat divisive data protection-wise, but a thorough review suggested that doing so would actually result in less risk than if KSS itself were to prospect.

Now, three years into the partnership, Louise’s work has had a direct impact on saving patients’ lives. She has enabled KSS to thoughtfully review (not fear) innovative ideas. This has allowed its Research and Innovation team to look into new life-saving technology, such as taking part in a multi-agency trial that involved live streaming at the scene of an incident directly to dispatchers to aid decision-making when every second counts; drone-delivered defibrillators; and setting up a robust system for the team to manage projects.

“All of this work has had to be so carefully thought through, it would be so easy to think ‘it’s too complicated, we can’t do it’. Working with Louise has been enabling.”

- Rebecca Kenny, Head of Governance and Compliance

The outcome

Rebecca and Louise’s working relationship has been “confidence building” for KSS. Innovative ideas previously thought to be too risky are now in the works thanks to careful consideration and application of the law. It has enabled continual improvement of KSS’s data protection compliance, and supported positive outcomes for patients both at the time of their incident and in sharing their story afterwards.

“We spent that [initial] year really getting to understand the space we’re working in, building a framework for data security that enables us to be trusted by other organisations. We’re an organisation that people want to partner with.”

- Rebecca Kenny, Head of Governance and Compliance

Gain the confidence to be innovative

Data Protection Consultancy is designed to support any data protection-related projects and the ongoing running of your data protection compliance. You’ll be in control of how much support you need, whether it’s just an extra pair of eyes or full project management.