1. Confidentiality in a busy practice
This module
This is module 2 of 3 (1 hour) in the Legal and Ethical Issues series. Module 1 covered standards and consent. Module 3 covers complaints. GDC Development Outcomes A, B and D.
Suggested study time
- Confidentiality in real workflows — 18 min
- Records and UK data protection — 20 min
- Candour and raising concerns — 17 min
- Knowledge check (MCQ) — 5 min
The duty
Patients tell you things they would not tell a friend. You must not share identifiable information unless the patient agrees, the law requires or permits it, or there is a public-interest justification that you can defend. GDC Standards and UK data protection law both apply.
Everyday leaks
- Calling a treatment and a surname across a full waiting room
- Screens visible to the next patient or a courier
- Talking about “the difficult extraction in bay 2” in a café or on a group chat
- Posting a case on social media with a distinctive tooth, jewellery or username still visible
- Leaving printed medical histories on the printer
When sharing is part of care
The clinical team treating the patient needs relevant information. That is not gossip. Laboratory dockets, referral letters and radiographs should contain what the receiving clinician needs — and no extra social commentary.
When you may need to disclose without consent
Examples (always take advice if you can): a court order; certain public health or safeguarding duties; a serious crime or a serious risk to others that cannot be managed another way. Disclosure should be the minimum necessary, to the right person, and recorded. Do not refuse a legally required disclosure because it feels awkward — and do not invent a “public interest” to settle a personal dispute.
After death
Confidentiality does not simply vanish. Follow current GDC and information-governance guidance, and be careful with relatives who want a full record without a proper basis.