Appendix II Retention schedule: Staff records and occupational health

This appendix sets out the retention period for different types of staff records and occupational health 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.

Duty roster

Record type	Duty roster
Category	Staff records and occupational health
Retention period	6 years
Disposal action	Review and if no longer needed destroy
Notes	Retention begins from the close of the financial year

Exposure monitoring information

Record type	Exposure monitoring information
Category	Staff records and occupational health
Retention period	40 years or 5 years from the date of the last entry made in it
Disposal action	Review and if no longer needed destroy
Notes	A. Where the record is representative of the personal exposures of identifiable employees, for at least 40 years or B. In any other case, for at least 5 years

Occupational health report

Record type	Occupational health report
Category	Staff records and occupational health
Retention period	Keep until 75th birthday or 6 years after the staff member leaves which ever is sooner
Disposal action	Review and if no longer needed destroy

Occupational health report of staff member under health surveillance

Record type	Occupational health report of staff member under health surveillance
Category	Staff records and occupational health
Retention period	Keep until 75th birthday
Disposal action	Review and if no longer needed destroy

Occupational health report of staff member under health surveillance where they have been subject to radiation doses

Record type	Occupational health report of staff member under health surveillance where they have been subject to radiation doses
Category	Staff records and occupational health
Retention period	50 years from the date of the last entry or until 75th birthday, whichever is longer
Disposal action	Review and if no longer needed destroy

Staff record

Record type	Staff record
Category	Staff records and occupational health
Retention period	Keep until 75th birthday (see notes)
Disposal action	Review, and consider transfer to PoD
Notes	This includes, but is not limited to, evidence of right to work, security checks and recruitment documentation for the successful candidate including job adverts and application forms. Some PoDs accession NHS staff records for social history purposes. Check with your local PoD about possible accession. If the PoD does not accession them, then the records can be securely destroyed once the retention period has been reached.

Staff record: summary

Record type	Staff record: summary
Category	Staff records and occupational health
Retention period	75th birthday
Disposal action	Review and consider transfer to PoD
Notes	See the good practice box staff record summary used by an organisation. Some organisations create summaries after a period of time since the staff member left (usually 6 years). This practice is ok to continue if this is what currently occurs. The summary, however, needs to be kept until the staff member’s 75th birthday, and then consider transferring to PoD. If the PoD does not require them, then they can be securely destroyed at this point.

Timesheets (original record)

Record type	Timesheets (original record)
Category	Staff records and occupational health
Retention period	2 years
Disposal action	Review and if no longer needed destroy
Notes	Retention begins from creation

Staff training records

Record type	Staff training records
Category	Staff records and occupational health
Retention period	See notes
Disposal action	Records of significant training must be kept until 75th birthday or 6 years after the staff member leaves. It can be difficult to categorise staff training records as significant as this can depend upon the staff member’s role. The following is recommended: Clinical training records - to be retained until 75th birthday or six years after the staff member leaves, whichever is the longer. Statutory and mandatory training records - to be kept for ten years after training completed. Other training records - keep for six years after training completed.

Disciplinary records

Record type	Disciplinary records
Category	Staff records and occupational health
Retention period	Retain for 6 years
Disposal action	Review and destroy if no longer required
Notes	Retention begins once the case is heard and any appeal process completed. The record may be retained for longer, but this will be a local decision based on the facts of the case. The more serious the case, the more likely it will attract a longer retention period. Likewise, a one-off incident may need to only be kept for the minimum time stated. This applies to all cases, regardless of format