- Reports are received by the Yellow Card Scheme in strict confidence.
- Information revealing the patient’s identity is never released without consent.
- No patient personal information is stored (ie name or date of birth) unless this is a direct report from a patient about their experience.
- Data is held securely.
Healthcare professionals can report suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in line with data protection legislation and the General Medical Council (GMC) guidelines on confidentiality (external link) as no patient personal information is required. Doctors can speak with their patients about their ADRs if they wish, although patient consent is not required for reporting.
Healthcare professional Yellow Cards
A Yellow Card requires an identification number for the patient; for example a practice or hospital number. This enables the patient to be identified by the reporter but not by anyone else and allows the reporter to know whom the report is referring to for any potential future correspondence.
Healthcare professionals reporting ADRs on behalf of their patients should remember to anonymise any documents that contain personal identifiers before they are sent. The Yellow Card Registration Number which we will provide should be quoted when sending follow-up information to enable us to link the additional information with the initial report.
