The Department of Health (DoH) has become the latest organisation to have its knuckles rapped by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), as the watchdog seeks to get tough on poor data handling practices.

The ICO said in a statement that it is looking for "significant improvements in the way the DoH manages and retains its records", and has issued a formal practice recommendation.

The watchdog acknowledged that the DoH has good central policies and guidelines in place, but said that much of the day-to-day record handling is undertaken by local staff who have developed their own practices, leading to a lack of consistency.

Senior managers have therefore been urged to do more to enforce best practices.

"Existing guidance states that good records management should be seen as a benefit, not a burden," said assistant information commissioner Gerrard Tracey.

"All organisations, public and private, are advised to have good records management as part of achieving business efficiency, by making sure that information is easily retrieved and properly documented."

This is not the first time that the DoH has been in trouble with the ICO. The organisation was served a practice recommendation in April 2008 regarding its handling of requests under the Freedom of Information Act.