--- title: "Can we share confidential health data in the public interest? | Data Ethics Professional webinar #15" description: How health professionals weigh sharing confidential data when the public interest is at stake. image: https://theodi.hacdn.io/media/images/Thumbnail_1.2e16d0ba.fill-1200x630.png --- [![ODI Learning](https://learning.theodi.org/hs-fs/hubfs/01_ODI%20Learning/learning-150-Blue-L%20(1).png?width=121&height=56&name=learning-150-Blue-L%20(1).png)](https://learning.theodi.org) - [Courses & Training](https://learning.theodi.org/courses) Show submenu for Courses & Training - [Quick Learning](https://learning.theodi.org/micro-courses) - [Self-Paced Courses](https://learning.theodi.org/self-paced-courses) Show submenu for Self-Paced Courses - [Understanding Data Ethics and AI](https://learning.theodi.org/courses/understanding-data-ethics-and-ai-self-paced) - [Strategic data skills](https://learning.theodi.org/courses/strategic-data-skills) - [Data Ethics Essentials \[FREE\]](https://learning.theodi.org/courses/data-ethics-essentials) - 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[Open Data Essentials \[FREE\]](https://open-data-essentials.learndata.info) - [Webinars](https://learning.theodi.org/data-ethics-professionals/webinars) - [Blog](https://learning.theodi.org/blog) - [Our Community](https://www.theodi.org/global-network-directory/) Show submenu for Our Community - [Meet the team](https://learning.theodi.org/trainers) - [ODI Certified Trainers](https://www.theodi.org/global-network-directory/odi-trainers/) - [Data Ethics Professionals](https://www.theodi.org/global-network-directory/data-ethics-professionals-and-facilitators/) ![Can we share confidential health data in the public interest?](https://theodi.hacdn.io/media/images/Thumbnail_1.2e16d0ba.fill-1200x630.png) # Can we share confidential health data in the public interest? [![The ODI Learning Team](https://learning.theodi.org/hs-fs/hubfs/01_ODI%20Learning/Learning-moo-roundsticker-05.png?width=50&height=50&name=Learning-moo-roundsticker-05.png)](https://learning.theodi.org/blog/author/the-odi-learning-team) [The ODI Learning Team](https://learning.theodi.org/blog/author/the-odi-learning-team) Sep 24, 2026, 1:00:00 PM How health professionals weigh sharing confidential data when the public interest is at stake. This session will explore the long‑standing question of how doctors and nurses approach decisions about sharing confidential patient information in the public interest. Not because they are unsure of their duties, far from it, but because the situations they face are often complex, fast‑moving, and rarely as tidy as the policy documents would like them to be. We’ll start with the Common Law Duty of Confidentiality, looking at what it means in real‑world practice and how doctors and nurses balance patient trust with concerns about safety and potential harm. We’ll also touch on the nuances around proportionality, minimal disclosure, and the particular care required when supporting capable young people or managing information relating to patients who have died. From there, we’ll navigate the legislative landscape; Data Protection law (frequently misunderstood, occasionally blamed, but genuinely helpful), the mechanisms available in emergencies and research, and the statutory safeguards that guide when information can be shared, and when it absolutely shouldn’t be. We’ll finish by examining professional guidance from national bodies, which provides structure, reassurance, and practical support for those making these difficult calls. Overall, the session will outline the key legal, ethical, and practical considerations clinicians may draw upon, not to judge their decisions, but to support them. You can read Andrew’s article Medical privacy: Aligning the need to breach patient confidentiality with data protection in the public interest at the bottom of this page. ## Watch the recording [Open on Vimeo](https://vimeo.com/1230975586) **Date:** 24 September 2026 **Speaker:** Andrew Harvey (Guy's & St Thomas' / King's College Hospital) **Series:** Data Ethics Professional #15 ## Continue your learning This webinar is part of the ODI’s Data Ethics Professionals programme. Explore the [certified course](https://learning.theodi.org/courses/data-ethics-professional), browse more sessions on the [webinars page](https://learning.theodi.org/data-ethics-professionals/webinars), or [register your interest](https://learning.theodi.org/courses/data-ethics-professional/register-your-interest) in the next cohort. 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