Document Type | Recommended statuary retention period |
EMPLOYEE RECORDS |
Job application and interview documents | 1 year |
Personal Records | 7 Years after employment ends |
Senior employment records | Permanent |
Training Records | 6 years after employment ends |
Employment Agreement | Permanent |
Payroll and wage records, including overtime | 8 years |
Salary Records | 7 Years |
Time Cards | 3 years |
Details of Benefits in kind | 8 years |
Income Tax records, P45/P60/P58/P48 | 8 years |
Annual return of taxable pay and tax paid | 8 years |
Labour agreements | 8 years |
Work council Minutes | Permanent |
Employee records from closed offices | 12 years |
CONTRACTS |
Contracts executed under seal | 12 years after expired |
Contracts with customers, suppliers etc. | 6 years after expiry or competition |
Rental and Hire purchase agreements | 6 years after expiry |
Licencing Agreements | 6 years after expiry |
Pensions and trust deeds | Permanent |
PENSION SCHEME DOCUMENTS |
Pension fund accounts and supporting documents | Permanent |
Actuarial Valuation reports | Permanent |
Inland revenue approvals | Permanent |
Medical Records – Radiation accident assessment | Permanent |
Medical Records – Radiation dosage summary | Permanent |
Lead at regulations 1998 | Permanent |
Asbestos at work regulations 1987 | Permanent |
Substances hazardous to health regulations 1994 | Permanent |
MEDICAL RECORDS |
Admission / Discharge books | 8 Years |
Audiology, Dietetic and Nutrition, District Nursing, Occupational Therapy | 20 Years |
Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Speech and Language Therapy | 20 Years |
Child Protection Registers | 26 Years |
Clinical Audit Records | 5 years |
Dental Records | 11 years Adults Children up to their 25th Birthday |
Diaries | 3 Years |
Family Planning Records | 10 years, Children retain to their 25th Birthday |
Health Visitor Records | 10 years or for Children retain to their 25th Birthday |
Health Records | 8 Years |
Immunisation and Vaccination | Children – retain until their 25th Birthday |
All others | 10 Years |
Learning Difficulties | 10 Years after the death of the individual |
Oncology | 30 Years |
Operating Theatre Registers | 8 Years |
Out of Hours Records | 3 Years |
Outpatients List | 2 Years |
Parent-Held Records | Until the Patients 25th Birthday |
Ward Registers | 2 Years |
X-Rays | 8 Years |
X-Ray Registers | 30 Years |
Board Meeting Reports | 30 Years |
Business Plans | 20 Years |
Catering Forms | 6 Years |
Commissioning Decisions | 6 years from date of appeal decision |
Complaints Correspondence | 10 Years |
Health & Safety Documents | 3 Years |
Incident Forms | 8 Years |
Manuals | 10 Years |
Meetings & Minutes | 30 Years |
Minor Paperwork (reminders, advertising etc) | 2 Years |
Quality Assurance Records | 12 Years |
Reports | 30 Years |
Incident Files | 30 Years |
Time Sheets | 3 Years |
Annual Accounts | 30 Years |
Accounts – Minor Records (cash books etc) | 2 Years |
Financial Contracts | 15 Years |
Medical Payments, BACS Payments, Fraud Investigations, Invoices | 6 Years |
Personnel Records | 6 Years |
STATUTORY RETURN RECORDS AND REGISTERS |
Annual Return | Permanent |
Return of Allotments (copy) | Permanent |
Directors’ Service Contracts | 6 years after cessation |
Register of Directors and Secretaries (original) | Permanent |
Register of Directors’ interests in Shares and Debentures | Permanent |
Register of interests in voting shares | Permanent |
Register of Charges | Permanent |
Register of Documents sealed | Permanent |
Unpaid dividend records | 12 years after dividend declared |
Dividend and interest mandate forms ceased to be valid | 3 years from when the instruction |
Notification of address change by member | 2 years after notification |
BANK RECORDS |
Cheques, bills of exchange and other negotiable instruments | 6 Years |
Statements from and instructions to the bank | 6 Years |
Paying-in Counterfoils | 6 years after ceasing to be effective |
Public Company | 10 Years |
Limited Company | 10 Years |
Annual report and accounts (signed) | Permanent |
Annual report and accounts (unsigned) | Permanently (keep sufficient copies to meet requests) |
Interim report and accounts | Permanently (keep sufficient copies to meet requests) |
Budgets, forecasts and periodic internal financial reports | 5 Years |
Taxation records and tax returns | Permanent |
VAT Records and Customs & Excise Returns | Permanent |
Expense Accounts | 7 Years |
SHARE REGISTRATION DOCUMENTS |
Register of Members | Permanent |
Register of Debentures and Loan Stock Holders | Permanently / 7 years after redemption of stock |
Letters and forms applying for Shares, Debentures etc. | 12 years from issue, with a permanent microfilmed record |
Renounceable Letter of Allotment and Acceptances | Originals for 12 years from renunciation, with a permanent microfilmed record |
Renounced Share Certificates | Originals for 12 years from renunciation, with a permanent microfilmed record |
Contracts for purchase of own shares by Company | Period of retention 10 years from date of contract |
Share & Stock Transfer forms and Letter of Request with permanent microfilmed record | 12 years after date of transfer |
Requests for designating or redesign ting accounts with permanent microfilmed record | 12 years after request |
Cancelled Share/Stock Certificate | 1 year from date of cancellation |
Stop Notice and other Court Orders | Permanent |
Letters of indemnity for lost Certificates | Permanent |
Powers of Attorney | Permanent |
Dividend and interest payment lists | Until audit of the dividend payment is complete |
Paid dividend and interest warrants | 6 years after date of payment |
INCORPORATED DOCUMENTS |
Certificate of Incorporation and Certificates on Change of Name | Permanent |
Certificate to Commence Business (Public Company) | Permanent |
Memorandum and Articles of Association (original and updated copies) | Permanent |
Printed copies of resolutions submitted to Companies House | Permanent |
INSURANCE |
Public Liability Policies | Permanent |
Product Liability Policies | Permanent |
Employers’ Liability Policies | Permanent |
Sundry insurance policies and insurance schedules | Until claims under policy are barred or 3 years after policy lapses, whichever is longer |
Group Health Policies | 12 years after final cessation of benefit |
Group Personal Accident Policies claims correspondence N/A 3 years after settlement | 12 years after final cessation of benefit |
HEALTH AND SAFETY |
Record of consultations with safety representative and committees | Permanent |
Health & Safety Policy Documents (old and revised copies) | Permanent |
Assessment of risks under health and safety regulations (including routine assessment monitoring and maintenance records for aspects in workplace such as air quality, levels of pollution, noise level, use of hazardous substances etc.) | Permanent |
Accident report book and relevant records/correspondence | Permanent |
Medical records – general | 12 Years |
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RECORDS |
Certificates of registration of trade/service marks (current and lapsed) | Permanently or 6 years after cessation of registration |
Documents evidencing assignment of trade/service marks | 6 years after cessation of registration |
Intellectual property agreements and licences | 6 years after expiry |
PROPERTY DOCUMENTS |
Title deeds for property | Permanently or until sold or transferred |
Leases | 12 years after lease and liabilities under the lease have terminated |