Patient Confidentiality.
We suggest that you may wish to have this poster up in the waiting room. It reads thus:
CONFIDENTIALITY
The Data Protection Act 1998 and the ethical codes of conduct of all health care professionals require that medical data be treated with great respect for confidentiality.
Confidential information held at this practice is shared with members of our health care team, as necessary, to ensure the best possible provision of care. All members of our healthcare team are bound by a strict duty of confidentiality.
Sometimes it may be necessary to share confidential data with individuals outside our healthcare team in order to provide you with the best care possible. For example, if the doctor refers you to another health care professional it is necessary to divulge confidential information in order to treat you properly. Information is only disclosed to those who also have a strict duty of confidentiality.
Occasionally we are asked to divulge information that is not directly related to your own health care. For example, we are sometimes asked to provide information for the purposes of education, audit or research or for the purposes of health care administration.
It may not always be practical to seek your consent to this on every occasion.
In all cases the person to whom such information is released is bound by a duty of confidentiality. The information disclosed is kept to the minimum necessary for the purpose and is anonymised where possible.
If you wish to register any objection to the sharing of confidential information as outlined above, or wish for further information or wish to discuss any issues of confidentiality, please contact the Data Controller or his / her representative at the practice.
(Name & contact details ..........................................)
Any objection will be respected if this is possible unless the disclosure is required by law or is essential to protect you or someone else from the risk of death or serious harm.
The Data Protection Act also gives you the right to see your notes or to have a copy of them. Please contact the Data Controller (name and contact details..............) if you require further information or advice.
Patient Confidentiality Info Poster
The following is an A4 consent form should your patients wish to use it.
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