Appendix II Retention schedule: Legal, complaints and information rights
This appendix sets out the retention period for different types of legal, complaints and information rights records relating to health and care.
This appendix sets out the retention period for different types of legal, complaints and information rights records relating to health and care. Where indicated, Appendix III should also be referred to. This sets out further detail relating to the management of specific types and formats of records.
Complaints, case files
| Record type | Complaints, case files |
|---|---|
| Category | Legal, complaints and information rights |
| Retention period | 10 years |
| Disposal action | Review and destroy if no longer required |
Fraud: case files
| Record type | Fraud: case files |
|---|---|
| Category | Legal, complaints and information rights |
| Retention period | 10 years |
| Disposal action | Review and destroy if no longer required |
Freedom of Information (FOI) requests
| Record type | Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, responses to the request and associated correspondence |
|---|---|
| Category | Legal, complaints and information rights |
| Retention period | 3 years |
| Disposal action | Review and destroy if no longer required |
Freedom of Information (FOI) requests: where there has been an appeal
| Record type | Freedom of Information (FOI) requests: where there has been an appeal |
|---|---|
| Category | Legal, complaints and information rights |
| Retention period | 6 years |
| Disposal action | Review and destroy if no longer required |
Industrial relations: including tribunal case records
| Record type | Industrial relations: including tribunal case records |
|---|---|
| Category | Legal, complaints and information rights |
| Retention period | 10 years |
| Disposal action | Review and consider transfer to PoD |
Litigation records
| Record type | Litigation records |
|---|---|
| Category | Legal, complaints and information rights |
| Retention period | Lifetime of patent, or 6 years from end of licence or action |
| Disposal action | Review and consider transfer to PoD |
Software licences
| Record type | Software licences |
|---|---|
| Category | Legal, complaints and information rights |
| Retention period | Lifetime of licence |
| Disposal action | Review and destroy if no longer required |
Subject Access Requests (SAR), response, and subsequent correspondence
| Record type | Subject Access Requests (SAR), response, and subsequent correspondence |
|---|---|
| Category | Legal, complaints and information rights |
| Retention period | 3 years |
| Disposal action | Review and destroy if no longer required |
Subject Access Request (SAR): where there has been an appeal
| Record type | Subject Access Request (SAR): where there has been an appeal |
|---|---|
| Category | Legal, complaints and information rights |
| Retention period | 6 years from end of the financial year they relate to |
| Disposal action | Review and dispose of if no longer required |
Intel patents, trademarks, copyright, IP
| Record type | Intel patents, trademarks, copyright, Intellectual property (IP) |
|---|---|
| Category | Legal, complaints and information rights |
| Retention period | Lifetime of patent, or 6 years from end of licence or action |
| Disposal action | Review and consider transfer to PoD |
Last edited: 7 May 2026 5:17 pm