A&E doctors told they must report stab victims to police

Doctors have been told to report knife crime even if it breaches patient confidentiality.

Under new guidance from the General Medical Council, accident and emergency departments are being told to disclose details of people who have been stabbed in the same way they report victims of gunshot wounds.

Staff are not compelled to reveal personal details to police but have been told that they should give personal details if failure to do so would put the patient or someone else at risk of death or serious harm, or if disclosure would assist in the "prevention, detection or prosecution" of serious crime.

It is hoped the move will give police and the government a clearer idea of the scale of the problem as well as improving multi-agency responses to knife crime. A spokesman for the BMA pointed out that staff are not obliged to inform police when the knife injury to the patient is accidental or as a result of self harm.