All information about patients is confidential, from the most sensitive diagnosis to the simple fact of having visited, or being registered at, a surgery. All patients can expect that their personal information will not be disclosed to anybody without their express permission. The exception to this is in extreme circumstances when somebody is in grave risk of serious harm, and disclosure will protect their health, safety or wellbeing. It may be that in the course of their duty practice staff and attached healthcare professionals will need to access a patient’s records but they are all bound by contracts of employment to maintain confidentiality. All healthcare professionals are individually accountable for their actions.