A Guide to Confidentiality in Health and Social Care

The duty to share information can be as important as the duty to protect confidentiality. The HSCIC Guide to Confidentiality 2013 shows health and care workers what they should do and why, to share information safely while following rules on confidentiality. It covers the five confidentiality rules:

1. Confidential information about service users or patients should be treated confidentially and respectfully.
2. Members of a care team should share confidential information when it is needed for the safe and effective care of an individual.
3. Information that is shared for the benefit of the community should be anonymised.
4. An individual's right to object to the sharing of confidential information about them should be respected.
5. Organisations should put policies, procedures and systems in place to ensure the confidentiality rules are followed.

The HSCIC Guide to Confidentiality 2013 reference document provides legal background to this guidance.