RCPsych members can get a hard copy of this report free of
charge (use the relevant link above on the right).
The central purpose of this document is to
provide members with guidance on good practice in confidentiality.
This includes advice on information sharing and on dealing with
decisions on disclosure, including requests for disclosure. This
comprehensive guidance develops, in depth, the outline guidance
given in the College's Good Psychiatric
Practice report. It has been informed by and is
consistent with Confidentiality, guidance for doctors
published by the General Medical Council (GMC).
The focus is on practical guidance relevant to
a variety of situations and issues that confront psychiatrists and
other members of multidisciplinary teams throughout the National
Health Service (NHS) and independent sector. The document is
supplemented by a series of appendices that provide background
information and examples. Summary guidance statements are included
for each area of practice.
Since these guidelines were last issued in
2006, there have been a number of changes in health service
organisation, clinical practice and public expectations, as well as
a general trend towards augmenting the duty to disclose and to
reducing professional privilege. Particular consideration has been
given to the special issues surrounding the sensitivity of mental
health information, the impact of changes in health service
organisation, developments within practice (e.g. multidisciplinary
and multi-agency working) and the impact of new technologies (e.g.
electronic communication and computerised information systems).
This report is the replacement of the original
CR85: Good Psychiatric Practice: Confidentiality from
2000, of CR65: Guidance for Videotaping from 1998,
and of CR133: Good Psychiatric Practice: Confidentiality and
Information Sharing from 2006.
The College recommends education and training in
confidentiality at undergraduate, postgraduate and CPD levels. An
online CPD module exists to support training:
Respect for Confidentiality - good psychiatric
practice.
Contents
- Introduction
- Protection, uses and disclosures: general
considerations
- Direct patient care
- Healthcare purposes outside direct patient care
(secondary uses)
- Uses and disclosure for non-healthcare
purposes
- Requests for information
- Requests for reports
- Vulnerable patients
- Children and young people
- Media, audio and video recording
- Protection and security of patient information
- Appendix 1. Legal framework
- Appendix 2. Scenarios
- Appendix 3. Audit
- Appendix 4. Department of Health definition of
‘serious crime’
- Appendix 5. Issues relating to patients who are
vulnerable or lack capacity
- Appendix 6. Security of patient information