Regulating doctors, ensuring good medical practice

New guidance - Confidentiality

Web News

28 Sep 2009

Web news item about the launch of new Confidentiality guidance for doctors.

The GMC has published new guidance for doctors on confidentiality. The guidance

  • sets out the principles of confidentiality and respect for patients' privacy that doctors are expected to understand and follow
  • takes account of the relevant legal and ethical considerations involved in helping doctors to make decisions that respect patients' privacy, autonomy and choices and that also benefit the wider community of patients and the public
  • takes account of changes in the law and guidance from other sources on confidentiality in the four countries
  • is accompanied by seven pieces of supplementary guidance which explain how the principles in the core guidance apply in a range of situations doctors often encounter or find hard to deal with, including reporting concerns about patients to the DVLA, reporting gunshot and knife wounds and disclosing information about serious communicable diseases

The guidance will come into effect on 12 October 2009. Registered doctors will receive a copy of the guidance with the September issue GMCToday. 

Access the new guidance

Access an online version of the new guidance with links to further information.

Podcast

We have produced a podcast to explain and contextualise the guidance. The podcast focuses on reporting gunshot and knife wounds, with Dr Tunji Lasoye (lead consultant in King's College hospital emergency department) talking about his experiences treating knife wounds and how the new guidance will help.

How the guidance was developed

Read more about how the guidance was developed and download a screensaver or wallpaper to show your commitment to maintaining confidentiality.

Press release

You can also read the following press releases which are based on the new guidance: