Sharing information for care and safety

The Caldicott Principles do not stop necessary sharing for patient care. In general practice, safe sharing can involve clinicians, pharmacists, care homes, community teams, safeguarding leads, interpreters, emergency services or other NHS services.

Share information by the correct route, for a clear reason, and with only the details needed. Reception staff should not make complex disclosure decisions alone but must recognise when to escalate urgently.

When sharing may be needed

• Direct care: passing a patient's exact symptoms to the duty clinician.
• Medicines safety: escalating a high-risk medication issue to the correct team.
• Safeguarding: sharing relevant concerns with the safeguarding lead or via the urgent route.
• Serious harm: using emergency or senior advice routes when risk is immediate.

When to pause and check

Requests from employers, insurers, relatives, neighbours, police, schools or informal carers often need verification. Even if the caller appears official, follow the approved process before disclosing patient information.

Good information governance supports care: share promptly by the right route, but do not disclose information casually.

Police and external requests