Patient Confidentiality

Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential. This is summarised in our Care Record Guarantee. You can click here to view or download a copy.

We have a training programme to teach staff the importance of maintaining confidentiality, safeguarding information and ensuring they manage information legally, securely and efficiently.

You may be receiving care from other people as well as the NHS, for example, from Social Services. In these instances we may need to share some information about you. 

We only ever use or pass on information if people have a genuine need for it. We only provide essential information and anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to ensure that it remains confidential.

We will only pass on information to your relatives, friends and carers if you want us to.

In certain circumstances we are required by law to report information to certain authorities, for instance, where there is an infectious condition which may endanger the health and safety of others or where a court order has been issued to obtain information about you. This information is only given after formal authority has been given by a qualified health professional.