When your GP has to break confidentiality

Trust is important between a patient and their doctor, but sometimes the situation can become tricky…

- DR HELEN WALL

One of the hardest things to do as any doctor is to lose a patient’s trust by breaking their confidentiality. I would argue this hits even harder for a GP who may have a longer-term professional relationship with a patient and needs to remain in that position moving forward.

We take confidentiality very seriously – and breaking it is not done lightly. In the almost 20 years I have worked as a doctor, I’m pretty sure I can remember each time (there aren’t many) that I have done this. And in all those situations, it has been done to keep the patient or others safe.

WORKING TOGETHER