Standards for Optical Students

13.1 Keep confidential all information about patients in compliance with the law, including information which is handwritten, digital, visual, audio or retained in your memory.

13.2 Maintain confidentiality when communicating publicly, including speaking to or writing in the media, or when writing and sharing images online, including on social media.

13.3 Co-operate with formal inquiries and investigations and provide all relevant information that is requested in line with your obligations to patient confidentiality.

13.4 Provide an appropriate level of privacy for your patients during consultation to ensure that the process of information gathering, examination and treatment remain confidential. Different patients will require different levels of privacy and their preferences must be taken into account.

13.5 Only use the patient information you collect for the purposes it was given, or where you are required to share it by law, or in the public interest.

13.6 Securely store and protect your patient records to prevent loss, theft and inappropriate disclosure, in accordance with data protection law as outlined in the policies of your training provider.

13.7 Confidentially dispose of patient records when no longer required in line with data protection requirements.