To ask you regarding medical records

[benefoots]

After reading another thread on here it got me thinking.
A few years ago I broke my arm quite badly. X-ray at a&e and appointment made to see orthopedic doctor.
My DH had to take the children to school. One of the mums there is a nurse. She said to DH that she had looked at my X-ray and it was such a bad break that I would need an operation.
Was she allowed to do this? I'm worried now as I have been to the doctors for depression lately and I would hate the thought that she is snooping at my records

[Jollyphonics]

If she was a nurse involved in treating you (in A&E or orthopaedic dept), then it's fine for her to look at your X-ray. It is absolutely not fine for her to discuss it with your DH, because that is a breach of your confidentiality.

I'm not sure how she'd see your GP records about depression though?

[ShadowFire]

As jolly said. She may have had a valid reason to see your x-Ray. Discussing it with your DH or anyone else not involved in treating the break is a breach of confidentiality.

[flora717]

If she saw it (and I doubt a nurse would have enough time to find out & nose in short order!) It suggests she'd had reason to.

[jellymaker]

a&e and doctors surgery are 2 completely different places and notes are not held together. If she worked in a&e then it would be normal for her to look but discussing it with your husband was a breach of confidentiality.

[flora717]

I also don't think a nurse related to the treatment of the break would ho trawling your records to see what was in there really, except for maybe to check for a history of breaks.

[benefoots]

No she doesn't work in the a& e. A walk in centre at another hospital.
So she had no reason at all to look at my X-ray unless she thought she was being 'helpful'.if she can access my record like this does she have access to my gp records?

[benefoots]

She is a very nosy person and loves a gossip

[Rivercam]

Gp records are not linked to hospital records, so she shouldn't be able to see them.

[swooosh]

Did you ask her to look at it? This would worry me, I am a HCP and wouldn't dream of this. I really think she needs reporting, it's not on.

[BravingSpring]

She may have access to your summary care record, that's just things like allergies and major diagnoses like if you have diabetes, and your medication.

All of which is perfectly fine for her to see if she's treating you but a breach of confidentiality if she just looked because she knows you and definitely a breach to discuss it with a third party in the school playground. You have grounds for complaint, the walk on centre should have their complaints policy on their website.

[swooosh]

X-rays are generally on computer systems which require searching by name, DOB etc. It's confidential, you have massive grounds for complaint. She would have no reason to even access summary care records as Braving said, only if she is involved DIRECTLY in your care, which she isn't.

[Jollyphonics]

It was very wrong of her to look at your X-ray given that she wasn't involved in your care, and even more wrong of her to comment on it to your DH. You certainly have grounds for complaint and she should be disciplined.

I'm not sure if she'd be able to see your GP records. I'm a GP, and doctors at walk-in centres can add details of consultations they've had with my patients to my GP records, but I'm not sure if they can read the existing records. I think it depends on whether or not you've consented to sharing of information. I suggest you discuss this with the practice manager at your GP surgery. This woman's behaviour is out of order.

[FirstOfficerDouglasRichardson]

I'm sorry but I would report her to the hospital. She can physically access your records on the hospital system because she has user rights but she has no right to unless it is relevant to her work. This does not sound like it was relevant to her work. Also the fact she then discussed this with your DH shows a complete lack of knowledge regarding patient confidentially and information governance.

Please report this, she needs some training. If she is nosey enough to snoop about you (a fellow mum from school) she is probably snooping about all manner of people.

[FirstOfficerDouglasRichardson]

Oh and I think it unlikely that she could access your GP records. Only your hospital records.

[benefoots]

Thank you for your replies. It happened quite a few years ago. At the time I was more worried about my condition to think about it.
I'm not really sure if it's to late to complain although I really do think she is the type to snoop. She is also know as 'the Oracle' amongst some of the mums

[AnthonyPandy]

Please report this. It doesn't matter when it was, please report it. I used to work with patients' files and it needs reporting.

[herecomesthsun]

people can and have been sacked for looking at records inappropriately, including their own.

[FirstOfficerDouglasRichardson]

Too much time has probably elapsed for any evidence, it may ne a case of your word against hers.

[batfish]

No she shouldn't have looked at your xray, she should only look at test results that she needs to to do her job. And as others have said - even if she had a professional reason to look at your xray there is no way she should have been discussing it with anyone at the school gates, even your husband.

I worked at the hospital that Richard Hammond from Top Gear was taken to after he had his very high speed crash a few years ago and after that they had to make a lot of changes to the IT systems to better track who was looking at what as so many people working there looked up his brain CT scan when they shouldn't have done and after that we all had to have individual log ins instead of shared ones.

[batfish]

Sorry my second paragraph was the longest sentence in the world ever!

[benefoots]

I do think too much time has passed to report it and I wouldn't want her to lose her job.
Just glad she can't snoop on my gp records