Patient Information (Hansard, 6 March 1996)

HC Deb 06 March 1996 vol 273 c290W 290W

§ Mr. Key
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to publish guidance to the NHS on the protection and use of patient information; and if he will make a statement. [19807]

§ Mr. Horam
We will be issuing guidance to national health service and other interested bodies tomorrow. Copies will be placed in the Library. The guidance will emphasise the legal duty of all NHS bodies and staff to protect patient confidentiality, as well as the importance of informing patients of the essential uses to which personal information, anonymised wherever possible, may be put.