HC Deb 19 December 1947 vol 445 cc428-9W
Sir E. Graham-Little

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that a medical practitioner, required to submit to him a certificate, describing in detail the character and prognosis of a patient's illness, asking for invalid diets, found subsequently that these details had been communicated to the local food office; that district nurses were discussing the case on information derived from the food office; and, as statutory medical tribunals regard disclosure to persons unauthorised by the patient of information obtained by the medical attendant in his professional capacity as warranting removal from the medical register, he will revise the procedure of his office which permitted this disclosure.

Mr. Strachey

No, I am not aware of the case to which the hon. Member refers, but if he will let me have particulars I will have inquiries made. It is inevitable that those members of the food office staffs who deal with applications for special diets for invalids should become aware of some of the details of the cases, but they are under instructions not to reveal any confidential information which may be communicated to them.