Consent and Confidentiality
What you are agreeing to when you accept care from PRC, who can consent, and the limits of confidentiality.
Status of this page
Derived from PRC’s Confidentiality Policy (version 1.0) and Consent to Care and Treatment Policy. This is the public summary of those approved documents. PRC should confirm this public wording before the site goes live.
Consent to care and treatment
Nothing happens without your agreement. Before any assessment, treatment or support begins, PRC will explain what is proposed, what it involves, what the likely benefits and limitations are, and what the alternatives are — so that your decision is an informed one.
- Informed — you receive clear information about what is proposed before you decide.
- Voluntary — consent must be given freely, without pressure from PRC or anyone else.
- Capacity — consent is sought from a person able to make that particular decision at that time.
- Ongoing — consent is not a one-off signature. It is revisited as your care changes.
- Reversible — you can change your mind and withdraw consent at any point.
Children, young people and capacity
For children and young people, consent is normally given by a person with parental responsibility, while the child or young person is involved in decisions in a way that suits their age and understanding. A young person who is able to understand what is proposed may consent for themselves.
Where an adult may not have capacity to make a particular decision, PRC follows the framework of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, including acting in the person’s best interests and involving those close to them where appropriate.
What PRC keeps confidential
PRC is committed to protecting confidential information and maintaining your trust. Confidentiality covers:
- Clinical records, assessments, diagnoses, therapy notes, medication records and risk assessments.
- Personal details including your name, date of birth, contact details, NHS number and GP details.
- Safeguarding information.
PRC holds clinical records in the EMIS clinical system, accessed through secure digital platforms. Staff access records only where required for their role, use approved secure systems and email routes, hold consultations in private, whether online or at PRC’s Northampton office, and remain bound by confidentiality after they stop working with PRC.
The limits of confidentiality
Confidentiality is not absolute, and it is important you know that before you share anything.
Information is only ever shared where there is a lawful basis and where sharing is necessary, proportionate and relevant. PRC will seek your consent where appropriate. However, information may be shared without your consent where it is required for safeguarding, to prevent serious harm, to meet a legal obligation, for your direct care, or to meet a regulatory requirement.
Where this happens, PRC will tell you what has been shared and why, wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so.
Recording of sessions
PRC does not record appointments unless there is clear clinical justification, your informed consent, and governance approval. You will always be told if a recording is proposed, and you can decline.
If something goes wrong
Confidentiality breaches and near misses are reported and investigated. Serious incidents may be reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the Care Quality Commission, commissioners or safeguarding bodies where required.
If you are concerned about how your information has been handled, you can raise it through PRC’s Complaints Procedure, or contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at www.ico.org.uk.