Professional duties are now considered legal duties of care within genomic medicine.

摘要: The legal duty to protect patient confidentiality is common knowledge amongst healthcare professionals. However, what may not be widely known, that this always absolute. In the United Kingdom, both General Medical Council governing practice of all doctors, as well many other professional codes recognise that, under certain circumstances, it appropriate break confidentiality. This arises when there a wider health others, and risk non-disclosure outweighs potential harm from breaking We discuss situation specifically in relation genomic medicine where relatives family have differing views on sharing familial genetic information. Overruling patient’s wishes predicated balancing care towards versus protecting their relative serious harm. implications pivotal case concluded recently High Court Justice England Wales, ABC v St Georges Healthcare NHS Trust & Ors. Professional guidance already clear professionals must undertake exercise weigh up contradictory duties care. judge has provided new weighting these duties: ‘The scope extends only conducting necessary but also acting accordance with its outcome’ [1: 189]. context medicine, important consequences for clinical practice.