Mr. Patrick Jen kinasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware of the concern in the NHS that patient records may not be wholly confidential if the Government's ownership of the paper and computer system in which records are kept confers rights of access to them; and what consultations he is having to clarify the position.
§ Mr. EnnalsMedical records of patients treated under the National Health Service are held to be the property of the Secretary of State, but legal ownership is not a major factor influencing the question of access to such records. The confidentiality of a patient's medical record is safeguarded by the ethics of the medical profession and other professions concerned. Access to medical records is a matter for the judgment of the doctor responsible at the time for the patient's treatment, except where disclosure is ordered by a court.