Vets and confidentiality - what's the law?

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Delta99

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Have just found that a certain veterinary practice has sent all my horse's veterinary reports to a third party without even contacting me!

Are vets bound by the same rules about confidentiality as doctors, ie they cannot legally disclose records about an animal they have examined on your behalf to a third party without your permission?
This seems to be what the RCVS guidelines say...?
 
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That's not right, have they told you why? Some people can demand notes, such as your insurers and probably the police but not just any old idiot. Who did they send them to?
 
As I understand it, yes they are covered by the same confidentiality rules, for example if your vet is employed by a buyer to vet your horse then the vet has to ask your permission to disclose the history of the horse to the buyer.
 
The otherday when the vet was at our yard we where discussing a mare and stallion who had to be rescued from a river when they got stranded. Our vet said she could not discuss this with us as it was one of her clients. This story had been in the paper and on the radio and she still would not discuss it. So surly sending out records is wrong????
 
I've just bought a new horse and the vets won't disclose any of her old records even with the old owners permission. It seemed logical to me that if I call them out in the future they would treat her based on their knowledge of her in the past but apparently thats not the case and they treat her as a clean slate.
 
I thought there were confidentiality rules. Certainly my vets have, as twice I have had to seek the owner's permission to view records for horses that I have purchased that were under the same vets as mine.

Quite rightly in my opinion. I would be seething if my horses' records had be disclosed without permission.
 
Interesting as I was under the impression that the horses history belonged to the horse therefore anyone purchasing qwould have the right to see the records from the previous owner. Im sure there would be confidentiality issues over the names and addresses of owners and their bill paying history but info on the actual animal is, I thought, not subject to confidentiality.

Could do with clarification here vet types please!
 
No they must have express permission from the owner of the horse at the time to release records of the horse to the new owner or even the new owner's vet.

I have had to get Farra's vaccination records from her old vet so my current vet can verify the stamps in her old passport and transfer them to her lovely new clydesdale society one.

He would not even ring the other vet, but stated that her old owner must contact them, give permission for disclosure and ask them to fax the details to him.
 
Yes that is wrong as they need permission from the owner to discuss the horse's records.
When my horse was being sold and the new owner wanted to talk to the vet and the AHT about his eye op I had to phone both of them and give permission - AHT wanted it in writing in fact
 
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