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Good Psychiatric Practice: Confidentiality and Information Sharing

The central purpose of this report is to provide members with guidance on good practice in patient information privacy. This includes guidance on information sharing and on decisions about disclosure. It provides an in-depth development of the outline guidance given in Good Psychiatric Practice (CR125; Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2004).

In the interval since the first issue of these guidelines in 2000 there have been a number of changes in health service organisation, clinical practice and public expectations, as well as a general trend to augment the duty to disclose and to reduce professional privilege. Particular consideration has been given to the special issues surrounding the sensitivity of mental health information, the impact of changes in health service organisation, developments within practice (e.g. multidisciplinary and multi-agency working) and the impact of new technologies (e.g. electronic communication and computerised information systems).

The focus is on practical guidance relevant to a variety of situations and issues throughout the National Health Service and independent sector that confront psychiatrists and other members of multidisciplinary teams. Confidentiality is both an ethical and a legal issue and the approach adopted has been detailed in consideration of the ethical principles and legal framework that inform good practice.

The following topics are covered:

• Keeping patients and carers informed, including information sharing to provide healthcare.
  
• Information sharing between users and carers.
  
• Multidisciplinary teams and interagency working.
  
• Disclosure, including where there is a legal requirement to disclose, and where decisions are matters of professional judgement.
  
• Requests for case notes, providing reports.
  
• Media requests and video recording.
  
• Secondary uses of patient information, including research.
  

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