Introducing the Business Classification Scheme

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) is committed to ensuring that good records management is practiced throughout the organisation, and an important aspect of this is the development and implementation of appropriate records management tools and guidance. One such tool is the Business Classification Scheme (BCS).

The BCS is the keystone of the records management function within NHSGGC, and has been developed in line with ISO 15489, the international standard on records management. The BCS will provide a framework for managing NHSGGC records and information, and has been developed in partnership with the NHSGGC Public Records (Scotland) Act Records Management Plan Steering Group of senior managers, and nominated experts in the organisation’s functions, to ensure that it meets specific operational requirements.

The BCS will continue to be developed in order to ensure that changes to the way NHSGGC works and changes in the way services are delivered are reflected in the way we organise records and information. In particular, gaps in its current functions notably relating to health/patient-centred functions will be filled as early as possible.

The management and implementation of the BCS is the responsibility of NHSGGC Knowledge Services. Enquiries should go to shona.mcquistan@ggc.scot.nhs.uk.

A BCS is a conceptual model of an organisation, and should provide a full representation of the business of an organisation (which is not necessarily the same as its organisational structure). There are a number of potential models, but NHSGGC has followed the functional model used by NHS National Services Scotland and NHS Fife.  This model is a stable one, as organisational functions change much less readily than organisational structures, and is thus better suited to enable us to meet required records and information management outcomes, providing a framework to effectively manage and control NHSGGC’s information.

 Why does NHSGGC need a business classification scheme?

The BCS enables the effective management of records and information throughout NHSGGC. It is essential that NHSGGC properly manages its records and information in order for the organisation to comply with legislation such as the Information Asset Register, Data Protection Act 1998, Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2000 and Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011.