Confidentiality: disclosing information for employment, insurance and similar purposes

Medical professionals are sometimes asked to provide information about patients for a third party, like the patient’s employer or a benefits agency. Whether you work for a third party, or they’ve asked you – as the patient’s treating medical professional – for information, this guidance applies to you.

It will help you to balance the duty of care you have to the patient with your obligation to the third party. There’s advice on what and how much information to disclose, as well as guidance on seeking the patient’s consent to disclose, recognising that sometimes disclosures will be required by law or the public interest.

This guidance came into effect 25 April 2017 and was updated on 13 December 2024 when regulation of physician associates and anaesthesia associates by the GMC came into effect.