Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep your information confidential, and anyone who receives that information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential. If you are receiving care from other people as well as the NHS, we may need to share relevant information, to enable us all to work together for your benefit.
The sharing of some information is strictly controlled by law. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, such as when the safety of others is at risk, we will not disclose your information to third parties, without your permission.
We only ever use or pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it in your and everyone’s interest. Whenever we can we will remove details, which identify you. The sharing of some types of very sensitive personal information is strictly controlled by law. We will only give information to your relatives, friends and carers if you want us to and have given your written permission.
Sometimes the law requires us to report information to appropriate authorities, such as when we encounter infectious diseases, which endangers the safety of others or where a formal court order has been issued. Our aim is that any records we have about you are accurate, secure and held in strictest confidence.