Secret NHS plan to share personal records A secret NHS document, seen by The Daily Telegraph, has raised fears that patient confidentiality will be watered down. The draft code of practice for patients" information was circulated among NHS managers earlier this month. It tells staff that they can sometimes ignore patients" wishes over the distribution of "identifiable" records and refers to "the wide range of purposes that information is used for outside of direct care." The document has led to warnings that sensitive medical and personal details could be distributed widely and even passed to pharmaceutical firms, regardless of patients" wishes. Phil Booth, of medConfidential, a campaign group, said the draft code could usher in "the most radical downgrading of medical confidentiality the NHS has ever seen." "The gold standard of medical confidentiality for every man, woman and child in England will in effect be replaced with nothing more than a 'fair processing" notice - a leaflet or poster in your GP's reception," he added. A Department of Health spokesman said: "This is a draft document to seek expert views on how NHS organisations can balance their role of keeping important information confidential with the need to securely share information that could save someone's life."