Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Bill Briefing
The BPS is the representative body for psychology and psychologists in the UK, and the BACP is the largest professional body for counselling and psychotherapy in the UK.
20 October 2021
BPS BriefingTogether we are urging the Government to amend the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in order to withdraw Clauses 9, 15 and 16 in Chapter 1 which would afford police the power to override the duty of medical confidentiality.
While BPS and BACP support the Government's initiatives to empower the police to uphold public safety, we believe that the proposed changes that would enforce data-sharing between NHS bodies and the police would erode trust and confidence in clinical psychologists, counsellors and psychotherapists and other healthcare workers and pose a threat to public health.