How to Answer a Confidentiality NHS Interview Question
How to answer confidentiality questions with Caldicott principles, a worked example, and awareness of exceptions.
**TL;DR.** Confidentiality questions test legal and ethical awareness. Reference the Caldicott principles, NMC Code section 5, and confidentiality exceptions (safeguarding, serious crime, risk of harm). Describe a specific dilemma and how you resolved it.
Worked answer (90 seconds)
*"A patient's partner called the ward repeatedly asking about her admission. The patient had explicitly said she did not want her partner contacted and had flagged concerns about the relationship. I referred to the Caldicott principles and to the trust's information governance policy — the information the partner was requesting was not disclosable without the patient's consent. I declined to confirm admission, offered to pass on a message if the patient consented, and documented the interaction. I also flagged to the nurse in charge because the pattern of calls suggested possible coercion. We made a safeguarding referral under Section 42 of the Care Act 2014 to support risk assessment around discharge."*
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Frequently asked questions
What are the Caldicott principles?
The Caldicott principles are the NHS framework for protecting patient confidentiality — governing when to use, share, and store patient-identifiable information. NHS staff need basic familiarity with the principles and with the trust information governance policy.