Document Actions

Confidentiality

Guidelines on confidentiality

We list here some of the policies and guidelines that are published by the British Medical Association (BMA), General Medical Council (GMC.) and the Department of Health

British Medical Association (BMA)

Confidentiality and disclosure of health information, BMA, October 1999
Published on 14 October 1999:

  • Includes
  • Disclosure with consent
  • Disclosure without consent
  • Obligatory disclosure

Confidentiality and people under 16, BMA, January 1994
Published in January 1994 jointly by the BMA, GMSC, HEA, Brook Advisory Centres, FPA and RCGP:

  • Includes
  • Consent to treatment
  • The legal position
  • General advice for GPs
  • Confidentiality

Health records , BMA

  • Access to health records by patients
  • Electronic patient records
  • Information technology glossary
  • BMA evidence to the House of Commons Health Select Committee inquiry into the electronic patient record
  • Guidelines on access to medical records
  • BMA evidence to the House of Commons-' A surveillance society', April 2007
  • Focus on choice of nationaility accredited systems, February 2004
  • Focus on funding for Information management and technology-3rd update, April 2004
  • System choice-guidance for GP practices from the GPC and RCGP, September 2004
  • Good practice guidelines on completion of GP reports from the JGPITC, September 2004
  • General practitioners reports (GPR)- BMA/Association of British Insurers
  • Making Information technology work for Junior doctors
  • Medical information and insurance
  • Remotely held records and centralised servers, February 2002

Medical information and insurance - Joint guidelines from the British Medical Association and the Association of British Insurers, December 2002

General Medical Council (GMC)

GMC confidentiality April 2004

  • Patients' right to confidentiality
  • Sharing information with patients
  • Disclosure of information
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Key principles of GMC confidentiality
  • Are you complying with the Data Protection Act 1998?

Media Inquiries about Patients, GMC, November 1996-Withdrawn 13 November 2006

Department of Health

Confidentiality code of practice
The NHS Confidentiality Code of Practice is a guide to required practice for those who work within or under contract to NHS organisations concerning confidentiality and patients' consent to use their health records.

NHS Caldicott guardians
Caldicott Guardians are senior staff in the NHS and social services appointed to protect patient information.