On 28 September 2009, the General Medical Council (GMC) published new guidance on confidentiality, which came into force on 12 October 20091 (see this issue pp.6-7).The document replaces previous guidance issued in 2004. The guidance is wide ranging, but there is specific mention about the provision of information to a patient's employer, and supplementary guidance relating to the disclosure of information for insurance, employment and similar purposes has been produced2. The guidance makes it clear that the term 'patient' refers to employees, clients, athletes and anyone else whose personal information a doctor has access to, whether or not the doctor cares for the individual in a traditional therapeutic relationship.
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