The work of St Michael’s Hospice is built on respect, honesty and trust. 

Working as members of the clinical team we receive information which we recognise is very personal and confidential.  We will, therefore, discuss with you whether you have any concerns about your information being shared with other healthcare professionals or your close family/friends.

For administrative and clinical reasons we keep details of all patients in both paper files and as computer records.  For these purposes the Hospice is registered with the Data Protection Register.  This data is kept in accordance with the requirements of the 1998 Data Protection Act and otherwise confidentially on a ‘need to know’ basis.  The Hospice makes available information in suitably anonymous format to nationally recognised medical bodies such as the Thames Cancer Registry to further research.

Informed Consent

As we believe in holistic care, drawing on the services of a range of professionals, we are aware of the need for informed consent.  It is important to have the trust and co-operation of our patients and families and we want to be sure you are fully aware of our objectives and the reason for the care we offer.  We will always, therefore, ask for your consent before any treatment or procedure is performed.

In the case of patients who are unable to give their own consent, the views of the next of kin and family and what is thought as the patients’ best interest will be taken into account before a decision is reached.  Again, it is the responsibility of the nurse in charge to document the decision and the reason why.  In this case the medical staff must also state clearly the reasons why they reached that decision.

Patients and their families are able to change their decision at any time.

Consent and Confidentiality