Confidentiality checklist
There are a number of things a health professional can do to make you feel confident that the information you give is being recorded correctly, used appropriately and kept confidential. Here are a couple of suggestions:
- They provided you with written information on how your information is used or shared.
- They told you when information was being recorded. E.g. "I will just take a note of that in your records".
- They discussed with you when information is or may be disclosed to others.
- They discussed the choices available to you in respect to how your information may be used or shared.
- Your health records are kept in a safe place, out of public view.
- Patient information is not discussed in public areas where it can be overheard, especially information that identifies somebody.
Breaches of confidentiality are taken seriously by the NHS. If you feel that your confidentiality has been breached discuss it with the health professional first. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, use the NHS complaints procedure.
