Confidentiality

Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential

You may be receiving care from other people as well as the NHS. So that we can all work together for your benefit we may need to share some information about you.

We only ever use or pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it in your and everyone’s interests. Whenever we can we shall remove details that identify you.

The sharing of some types of very sensitive personal information is strictly controlled by law.
Anyone who receives information from us is under a legal duty to keep it confidential.

All patients, who would like their Medical Records, Results, Medical Problems to be discussed with a family member, or friend a written consent has to be issued to us here at the Surgery. This will need to scanned to your records. If a relative /friend holds Power of Attorney this also needs to be supplied to the Surgery.

Under 16s

The duty of confidentiality owed to a person under 16 is as great as the duty owed to any other person. Young people aged under 16 years can choose to see health professionals, without informing their parents or carers. If a Clinician considers that the young person is competent to make decisions about their health, then the Clinician can give advice, prescribe and treat the young person without seeking further consent.

However, in terms of good practice, health professionals will encourage young people to discuss issues with a parent or carer. As with older people, sometimes the law requires us to report information to appropriate authorities in order to protect young people or members of the public.

Young Persons Guide