Health Protection Agency (HPA) has stated the Director-General of Public Health has the authority to disclose the name of a patient if there is a high risk of community transmission through the patient.
Under the policy established to publicise names of patients in the interest of protecting public health, HPA stated only the director-general has the authority to disclose the names of patients, once there is proof there is a high risk of transmission through the patient and considerable danger to the society as a whole. Information that can be revealed under such circumstances is the patient's full name, common name, nationality, permanent address, current address, employer and the type of disease.
The considerations that must be made before disclosing a name include the chance of controlling the disease by revealing the name, the consequences of the disclosure and the impact a non-disclosure could have on the society. Furthermore, the name of a deceased patient can also be disclosed if the death certificate states the cause of death as a disease that is rapidly spreading across the country.
In addition, the policy states the director-general also has the authority of disclosing the names of individuals who violate quarantine or isolation orders of HPA and individuals who do not cooperate with health authorities in imposing measures to curb the spread of a contagious disease.