A High Court judge in London ruled last week that doctors’ duty of confidentiality “arguably” survives a patient’s death but gave the go ahead “in the public interest” for the disclosure of medical records of dead nuclear plant workers to an independent inquiry.

The order by Mr Justice Foskett removed a barrier to the release of the records of dead workers to the public inquiry looking into the removal of hearts, lungs, and other organs from the bodies of employees in the nuclear industry for testing for plutonium after their deaths.

The inquiry, conducted by Michael Redfern QC, was set up by the …