Q. A solicitor has sent me a letter, with patient consent attached, requesting that I send the solicitor the entire patient record including third party correspondence. Am I okay to do this?

A. Under Data Protection legislation the patient has an entitlement to this information. However, before releasing to the solicitor, you should confirm with the patient that they do indeed want all medical information to be released. You should ensure that it contains nothing that might be injurious to the patient's wellbeing, or that would breach confidentiality with another patient or colleague. It may be reasonable in some circumstances to notify a colleague that a particular letter or result is being released, however you should not withhold it.