Patient Confidentiality after death?

[MaryPlain59]

Does anybody know if patient confidentiality is still upheld by therapists counselling a young person who then sadly goes on to kill themself, on the day after an evening session? It would be so helpful to our family to know or understand what led up to this great sadness as we were unaware of any depression or that they had sought private counselling but we are not sure if we are allowed to ask.

I'm sorry you're needing to ask this question. Was it definitely a private counsellor? Is there an inquest?

I think it was a private counselor but am not quite sure and yes there will be an inquest but we have no date yet. Thank you for replying x

Duty of confidentiality continues after death.

However depending on the circumstances information can be shared but consideration needs to be given to whether the patient would have wanted that known by the family etc (an example is a practising catholic revealing to the GP that she wished she'd had an abortion or information about drug use, sexuality or multiple sexual partners - whether or not promiscuous)

I'm so sorry for your loss. It's the worst thing imaginable, isn't it?

I have wondered, too, whether medical records are still private after death. Any medics around who can tell us?

(when I said private counsellor in OP it was because I don't think it was arranged through our GP by what has been said to us by her since so have just assumed he had sought the help privately by himself).

I'm not sure TBH. But if there is an inquest, then alive or not, the counsellor will have to give all the information.
Just as they should have referred the young person to the GP etc... if they thought that person was at risk of harming themselves.

Thank you both so much for replying, it would be so helpful to know a definitive answer before we attempt to ask the counsellor but it seems to be a grey area. Does anybody know if this information be disclosed at the inquest or will it not form part of the proceedings?

Sorry crossed posts there. Thank you very much for that information x

If the coroner is aware of the counselling, it should be considered as part of the inquest and confidentiality does not stop the counsellor telling information to the coroner. You or your family members should make your wish to know more known to the coroner, who will consider the impact of the information being shared.

Sorry - lacking punctuation/poorly expressed - I hope you can make sense of it.

Thank you kitty x

You're welcome