Franklynn Centre has adopted the Guidelines for professional practice published by the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting in respect of Confidentiality.

Patients or clients have a right to know the standards of confidentiality maintained by those providing their care at Franklynn Centre and these standards are made known by the health professional at the first point of contact. These standards of confidentiality are reinforced by being published on the Franklynn Centre web site and in posters in the Centre.

There is no statutory right to confidentiality but an aggrieved individual can sue through a civil court alleging that confidentiality was broken. Franklynn Centre will recognise each patient’s or client’s right to have information about themselves kept secure and private.

Franklynn Centre, as an organisation which employs professional staff who make records, are the legal owners of these records. However, the patient or client can ask to see their records, whether they are written down or on computer. This is as a result of the Data Protection Act 1984, Access Modification (Health) Order 1987 and the Access to Health Records Act 1990.

Our staff will be personally accountable in protecting all confidential information concerning patients and clients obtained in the course of professional practice and make disclosures only with consent, where required by the order of a Court or where it can be justified that disclosure is in the wider public interest.

A patient or client has the right to expect that information given in confidence will be used only for the purpose for which it was given and will not be released to others without their permission.

All Franklynn Centre employees not directly involved with patients or clients but who have access to or handle confidential records, sign contracts of employment containing clauses which emphasise the principles of client confidentiality, a clear requirement to adhere strictly to these important clauses and state the disciplinary action which could result if these provisions are not met.

If it is appropriate for Franklynn Centre professional staff to share information gained in the course of their work with other health practitioners, they will make sure that as far as is reasonable, the information will be kept in strict professional confidence and under normal circumstances will be used only in direct connection with the treatment for which the information was given.

Franklynn Centre will not deliberately break confidentiality other than in exceptional circumstances.

Computer-held records will as far as possible, be held secure with the provision of regularly updated firewall and anti-virus software and the methods used for recording information will be secure. All records will clearly indicate the identity of the person who made that record and personal access codes to computers will be kept secure.