#Breach meaning in healthcare professional

If you tell them you're involved in a serious crime (such as murder, drug-dealing, sexual assault or assault), they might have to report it. Remember that this is to protect you, so even if you were to regret it, it might be in your best interest.Ī doctor does have to break confidentiality if they think you're at risk of harm or in danger.

#Breach meaning in healthcare professional

Make sure you ask a health professional what’s confidential and what’s not, before you reveal information about yourself, so that you don’t tell them something you later regret. Some health workers have to report crimes, depending on how serious they are.ĭoctors don't have to report that you're using illegal drugs or having sex while you're underage, but other health workers might. If you're under 18, you should see our factsheet on age and confidentiality for important information about how your age affects confidentiality. If you're over 18, what you tell health workers is automatically confidential, unless there's a risk of someone (yourself or others) being seriously harmed or their life is at risk. They will normally talk to you about it first. They'll have decided to tell a small number of people who have to know, in order to stop things from getting worse. If a doctor or mental health professional decides it's necessary to report something about you, it doesn't mean they don't care about or don't respect you – it's quite the opposite. No health worker should ever break their confidentiality with you unless the situation is really serious and they feel they have no choice. In certain cases – for example, in order to protect you from serious harm – a mental health professional may have to disclose private information about you to someone else, such as your parents or carer, Family and Community Services, or, in very rare situations, a court, the police or an ambulance worker. If you're using an interpreter to talk to doctors or other health workers, the interpreter also has to keep what you say private. If you’re concerned about it, you should ask them to explain to you exactly what is confidential and what’s not. Your counsellor, psychologist or psychiatrist should talk to you about confidentiality in your first session. Confidentiality rules are there to help you, so that you can open up honestly and tell someone exactly what’s going on, without feeling embarrassed or afraid.īy law, doctors and other health professionals such as nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists and counsellors have to keep most of what you tell them confidential. An important part of seeking help is building trust with the person who is supposed to be supporting you. It can be hard enough deciding to talk to someone about serious or personal issues, without worrying about where that information will go. Mental health professionals are prohibited by law from sharing your confidential information with anyone else. If something's confidential, it means that it's private and the person you talked to about it won’t share it with anyone.