Using video conferencing and consultation tools
Video conferencing and consultation tools are important. They are used for consultations with patients and service users. They are also used for communications between health and care professionals when working remotely. We encourage their use to support the delivery of care.
This guidance sets out how they can be used safely from an information governance perspective.
Guidance for patients and service users
Your health and care provider may offer you a video consultation as a way of communicating with you. This is a consultation carried out using your phone, tablet or computer. You can read more about this on the NHS website.
Your health and care organisation should be able to provide you with information about how your personal or confidential patient information is used during a video consultation. The following will help to protect your confidentiality:
- make sure that you have a safe, quiet, confidential place that is free from interruptions for your consultation
- if another person is present in the room, you should consider making your health and care professional aware, particularly if the other person remains quiet or is not visible to the health and care professional. This helps your health and care professional avoid inadvertently breaking confidentiality
- your health and care professional will inform you if anyone else is in the room with them and ask if you are comfortable with this, for example, if they have a student doctor working with them
- you may be asked to confirm your details, for example, name and date of birth to ensure you are the right patient or service user
Recording sessions
Your health and care professional will take notes as they would do in a face to face consultation. If your health and care professional wants to digitally record the consultation, they will need to ask your permission.
If you wish to record the session with your own applications or another device, it is good practice for you to advise your health and care provider in advance and out of politeness check they are happy with this.
If you have any concerns when offered a video consultation, please speak to your health and care organisation.
These IG pages provide clear and consistent IG advice and guidance to patients and service users, health and care staff and IG professionals. NHS England convenes a working group to check and challenge the guidance.
Last edited: 7 May 2026 12:49 pm