§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines her Department issues to doctors carrying out amniocentesis tests solely to identify the sex of a baby; what requirement there is to keep confidential the findings of such tests; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe Department of Health has not issued guidance to doctors carrying out amniocentesis tests. This is a matter for the clinical judgment of the professionals concerned in each individual case.
All persons involved in the collection and handling of personal health information, including the results of amniocentesis tests, have a legal duty to preserve the confidentiality of that information.
Information obtained by the national health service about patients in the course of their care and treatment is confidential to the NHS. The NHS has a duty held in common law to prevent any unnecessary disclosure of this information, which would represent a breach of confidence. Disclosure of information to the patient concerned, however, would not represent a breach of confidence. Whether or not to do so, again, is a matter for the clinical judgment of the professional concerned.