Professor Ben Gibbison is the alternate Vice Chair for the Confidentiality Advisory Group (CAG) and an academic cardiac anaesthetist and intensive care doctor, and Professor at the University of Bristol. He divides his time between clinical work caring for patients undergoing heart surgery and in intensive care, and research and teaching at the university. Here, he shares his experience as a member of the CAG.
How did you first get involved?
I first got involved in CAG through my research work. I use data from the Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre (ICNARC) and work with its Clinical Trials Unit, as well as other groups analysing routinely collected data on patients having heart surgery and admitted to intensive care units across the UK, including detailed information on their condition and outcomes.
Research of this kind often relies on approvals that allow confidential patient information to be used under Section 251, where it isn’t possible to obtain consent from everyone. CAG plays a key role in this by reviewing applications and advising on whether this kind of data use is justified and done safely.
What made you want to get involved?
I’d come across CAG through that work but hadn’t had much direct involvement in how it operates in practice, so there was still an element of the unknown around it. When I saw an advert, I took the opportunity to understand the process better from the inside, as well as to contribute more broadly.
As a researcher, you can stand on the sidelines and comment on how research works, but you must help make it happen. Being involved in CAG is one of the ways I do that. As an academic, part of your role is not just carrying out research but supporting the systems that make it possible.
What does the role involve on a practical level?
The role is manageable alongside other responsibilities, typically involving seven to eight meetings each year and some preparation, but it does require dedicated reading and time to review applications properly. As with anything, you become more familiar with the process over time and develop a better sense of how to approach different applications, including identifying where particular aspects may need closer consideration.
More recently, I’ve stepped into a Vice Chair role, which has added a different dimension to the work. I particularly enjoy drawing together the different views in the room, bringing out perspectives from across the committee and helping to guide discussion and feedback to applicants.
What do you enjoy most about being a CAG member?
I enjoy the opportunity to see a wide range of research and data applications. You’re constantly coming across different types of studies, and you tend to learn something from each one.
It also gives insight into a part of the research system that many researchers don’t fully see - the regulatory and governance side. That perspective is useful, and it’s something quite different from day-to-day clinical or academic work.
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