• "Patients have a right to expect that information about them will be held in confidence by their doctors"
• There are serious repercussions for the doctor who discloses confidential information ranging from disciplinary GMC hearings, civil proceedings and criminal proceedings.
• The patient's basic contact details is confidential information along with their medical information.

Data Protection Act (DPA), section 29, paragraph 3 :-

• Personal data is exempt from non-disclosure provisions for prevention or detection of crime. So the police can request for personal data to be disclosed in certain circumstances.
• However, despite the fact that the DPA releases the data holder from obligation to protect data, it does not require the holder to disclose it. In this case, the clinician must decide if the circumstances are serious enough and in the public interest to disclose the information.

Prevention of Terrorism Act 2000 :-

• If the doctor is suspicious that an act of Terrorism might take place, it is his legal duty to report this to the police.

• Under what circumstances is it alright for a doctor to breach patient confidentiality? There are guidelines from the GMC which defines serious crimes as a possible reason to disclose information. However they do not list what types of crimes are involved.
• What should come first: the doctor's duty to an individual patient, or the duty to the public and in this case, public safety?
• By withholding information, is the doctor potentially withholding information that could help protect someone else? After all, the police could just get a court order to request the information later on anyway.

• The clinician has obligations to their patient to keep their information confidential, including their contact details.
• No one outside the healthcare team should see their medical files; nor should anything about the patient be discussed by anyone outside the medical team, unless the patient consents.
• The clinician should attempt to follow the "Caldicott Principles", which set out a way in which the DPA can be followed within the framework of the NHS.
• If the clinician is unsure as to what to do, they can contact the NHS Trust Caldicott Guardian, who can advise in situations where confidentiality is at risk of being breached; or alternatively, contact their medico-legal team.

• Data Protection Act 1998, section 29
• Caldicott Principles
• Caldicott Guardian