Historically it was founded on medical practice but, in today's world it governs all clinicians, doctors and nurses alike. It is intended to maintain trust between health professionals and their patients, allowing patients to disclose sensitive information freely, without fear of exposure.
In this article, the first of a two part series, we examine confidentiality what it means in the modern NHS, when we might consider breaching it, when we must do so and how to make the judgments involved