Review of Confidentiality Guidance

May 2008

In 2007, the GMC began a review of its guidance to doctors, ‘Confidentiality: Protecting and providing information’. The current guidance, which was published in 2004, develops the advice in Good Medical Practice (2006) and sets out the standards of practice expected of doctors when they hold or share information about patients. Additional advice on how the guidance should be put into practice, and on the law relating to the use and disclosure of information about patients, is available in the Frequently Asked Questions. Doctors must always be prepared to justify their decisions in accordance with the guidance.

In reviewing the guidance, we aim to ensure that our guidance is up to date and reflects important changes in the way that doctors' practice. A Working Group has been established to take forward the review on the GMC’s behalf.

Early in the review process, we commissioned a literature review on Public and Professional Attitudes to Privacy of Healthcare Data(316Kb pdf documentpdf) and to seek views on the current guidance, we held an initial consultation.

Read more about the background to the review, and the next steps.

For more information about the review, contact Farkhanda Maqbool in the Standards and Ethics Team.