Patient information: to share or not to share?

This commentary considers the General Medical Council’s new guidance, Confidentiality: Good Practice in Handling Patient Information, which came into effect in April 2017. The commentary highlights some of the changes from the previous guidance and argues that, while some areas could have been developed further, the new guidelines are in general more detailed and user-friendly than previously, and will therefore be of benefit to practitioners. The commentary also highlights further developments on the horizon, such as new data protection legislation.