Newshound

Publication date:  04 Nov 2009

Referral details warning

Doctors should only disclose relevant details about a patient’s medical condition when referring them to a specialist—not unrelated medical conditions, warns the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS).

New, revised guidance on patient confidentiality from the GMC states that disclosing unrelated medical conditions could lead to complaints and potential court cases or disciplinary proceedings.

In a recent call to the UK wide MDDUS advice line a patient complained about a visit to a member’s practice seeking a referral for elective surgery. The GP wrote the letter and forwarded medical details to the specialist, but in doing so disclosed a history of a sensitive and unrelated medical condition. This prompted a complaint from the patient.

Gail Gilmartin, a senior medicolegal adviser, advises: “In providing patient referrals doctors should include personal information relevant to the medical condition being treated and exercise care in disclosing past history. Be aware that inadvertent inclusion of personal details is a greater risk today with most patient information now being held in easily transmissible electronic form. Particular attention should be paid to information the patient is likely to object to being disclosed.”

The GMC guidance states: “You must respect the wishes of any patient who objects to particular personal information being shared within the healthcare team…unless disclosure would be justified in the public interest.”