Sharing for Care and Being Transparent

Caldicott principle 7 recognises that sharing information for a patient’s care can be as important as protecting confidentiality. Patients may be harmed if relevant information is withheld, delayed, or blocked. Dental nurses should not treat confidentiality as an absolute prohibition on sharing.

For example, share relevant medical history with a referral service, tell the dentist about a concern raised after the appointment, pass allergy information to the clinician, or ensure a safeguarding concern reaches the right person. Any sharing must be necessary, proportionate, secure and follow the correct route.

Principle 8: no surprises

• Patients should have clear information about how the practice uses their data.
• Privacy notices should be accessible and understandable.
• Staff should avoid vague or misleading explanations.
• Patients should know when information may be shared for care, safety, legal duties, or administration.
• Unexpected uses need extra care and senior advice.

Transparency can be simple. If a patient asks why reception needs their date of birth, a clear reply is: "We use it to make sure we open the correct record." That explains the purpose without unnecessary detail.

Privacy notices and patient explanations

Caldicott is not anti-sharing. It supports safe sharing for care while keeping patients informed and avoiding unnecessary disclosure.