Expert Witness: Is there a duty of disclosure?

Patient confidentiality and the new rules on candour in healthcare

Summary:

It is accepted that there are occasions where it is justifiable to disclose confidential patient information without consent, but is there ever an obligation to disclose? And what happens if a practitioner witnesses substandard healthcare? Diana Kloss explores the issues for OH professionals.   

IT is well established both in law and ethics that health professionals are bound by a duty of confidentiality with regard to information given to them by their patients. In occupational health (OH) practice…

Diana Kloss is a barrister, former part-time employment judge, Acas arbitrator and author

Author: Kloss D

Tags case law confidentiality consent department of health employment law ethics fitness for work fitness to practice gmc general medical council hiv Liability mental health NHS public health

Occupational Health at Work October/November 2014 (vol. 11/3) pp38-39

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