to be annoyed at people reading my notes?

[NotTHATmental]

Have used my "spare" name for this as don't want to get anyone into trouble...

Last night, my friend was drunk at my house and said she had a confession to make. She has looked up my notes on the social work computer system (she is some kind of clerical assistant for children's services). She was laughing when she said this, and said she had done it a while ago and had been dying to tell me. she says there is nothing bad on there and in fact it says that I am a very capable mother and there is no need for concern, plus the names of the social workers who have been involved with my family (due to my mental health issues, we have been checked up on a couple of times).

At the time, i was a little bit shocked, but said i didn't mind as I knew there was nothing bad on there anyway. but now I think about it, I am a bit annoyed. i don't want people I know to be able to look up details of my family!

This has happened before, with my mental health notes, my mum is a mental health nurse and a couple of times has let slip that she knows when my next doctors appointment is, before I have even got the letter! So I know she is reading my notes too.

AIBU to expect these things to stay between me and the relevant people? I know these two people could lose their jobs over this, and there was nothing I didn't want them to know in the notes (at least I don't think there was-I've not read the notes myself so not sure what is in them, and have very poor memory of what i get up to during an "episode")but still, it's not good is it?

[LOLWUT]

You are being very unreasonable.

[Overmydeadbody]

Oh My God

YANBU

Your friend is bang out of order and tbh if I where you I would report her. She's breaching confidentiality rules isn't she?

[3littlefrogs]

This is absolutely appalling. It is a disciplinary offence - certainly in the NHS, to look up any patient's notes without good cause.

It is up to you what you do about it, you are in a difficult situation, particularly where your mum is concerned. I would be really angry and upset if this happened to me.

YANBU.

[MillyR]

I think you should report your friend. If she has done to this to you then she has probably also done it to other people.

[Overmydeadbody]

LOLWUT have you read the post?

[trixymalixy]

YASNBU!!!!!!!!

I would be livid.

I can't see what you could do about it without getting them into trouble though.

[Overmydeadbody]

Exactly Millie, she could have done this with other people too.

It is very unprofessional and you really must report her.

[Toffeepopple]

YANBU. That is not on at all.

[Uriel]

YANBU. Awful behaviour on their part and just so WRONG.

[feedthegoat]

YANBU. She is breaking rules as such information is not meant to be accessed for personal use and I would have thought this would be classed as Gross Misconduct. I think I would feel hurt if it was me and I don't consider myself that precious about things.

[lisad123]

TBH Im shocked she has access to the notes. When I was in ss, only some of us had the level needed to access peoples notes, other than a name and address or if it was your case. YANBU at all!!

[onadietcokebreak]

I would be livid! You should request your records are made sensistive so only people with the correct access can view them.

[Plonker]

YANBU At. All.

I would be absolutely LIVID!

[nooka]

I agree, totally reasonable for you to be shocked and upset about this. For both your mum and your friend this would be a disciplinary matter, and I would also be really worried that the SS department and the mental health trust had such lax confidentiality procedures. I would think about whether you could make a complaint - or at least with the mental health trusts talk to PALS about your concerns (I am sure that you can say that you can't give a name but you are worried about their processes).

[Northernlurker]

This is a gross breach of confidentiality on the part of these people. You may not want to 'get them into trouble' but the fact that they are so lacking in professional judgement and discretion does not speak well for their approach to patients in general. You should complain - you have a right to privacy - and so do their other clients!

[treedelivery]

YANBU - those individuals are violating their codes of conduct and this is HUGE! It is so so so wrong.

[giraffesCantRunA10k]

yanbu

[pingviner]

This is shocking and a disgusting breach of confidentiality and should be reported.

Doesnt matter if its your mum or your friend- you have a right to have all information, doesnt matter if its personal or not, kept confidential unless there is a damn good reason for disclosure! To read your notes like that, no matter whats in them is a violation of trust.

How much of a friend is she if she thinks its such a laugh to read through your and your families personal details? Who else has she mentioned it to? Who elses files has she read and gossiped about?

And your Mum should know better - its very much frowned upon to get involved in a family member's treatment- there may be huge conflicts of interest/opinion and its no good for either the patient or the family member. No matter what mental health issues you might have you are an autonomous individual and have a right to whatever treatment or problems you are having being discussed privately without your mother ever knowing about it.

This is the biggest problem with any database or information sharing system- that individuals can be untrustworthy, purient and unethical.

I'll get off my soapbox now- its an issue I feel very strongly about! Please consider reporting this!

[midlandsmumof4]

YANBU. This is an awful breach of confidentiality. Suppose there WAS something bad that she could not resist keeping to herself (telling her OH for instance). Not many people are capable of keeping secrets-they always tell someone-as in 'BTW if I tell you something will you promise not to tell anyone else?' . Also, if she's done this to you who else's records has she peeked into who may not be so clean? Not as serious but I closed my account in our local Building Society when my BIL's wife got a job there.

[BradfordMum]

This is awful for you and you are not BU at all.
They may well be Reading lots of files and storing snippets of info for future use.
I think I would warn them they are likely to lose their jobs and you are considering taking this further.

[juuule]

Yanbu at all.
It's outrageous that a clerical assistant can get access to such sensitive notes.
I'm not sure what level your mother is and whether she has legitimate access to your notes but you don't seem to think so.

It is instances such as these that add to people's concerns about the security of information held on databases such as Contactpoint despite reassurances such as
"says 390,000 people will have access to the database, but will have gone through stringent security training."
I assume your mum and friend haven't had training in use of the systems they are accessing.

[PM73]

YANNNNNBU

This is a serious breach of your confidentiality.You should consider reporting them tbh.

I used to be a nursing auxilliary in an ent ward/clinic/theatre & my Mum came in to have a consultation & i requested to work somewhere else the day she came to the clinic as i didnt want to see her notes never mind what was inside them.

I find it atrocious that your friend laughed,what would she have done if there was something in there you did not want anyone to know?

[Weegiemum]

When I was being treated in the Health Board area that my husband also worked in, the psychiatrist kept my notes, like those of all other patients connected to staff, in a locked filing cabinet in his room and NOONE else got access, except my CPN, who had to read them adn add to them in the room and never take them out - the psych made a big point of explaining all this to me to show that the notes were totally secure adn confidential.

I am shocked. I would report. Your friend and mother are at risk of losing their jobs over this, and tbh they deserve to, as they can't be trusted.

[EvenBetaDad]

YANBU - at all. I am shocked. This is the entire problem with all of the current Govt database proposals. The real fear is that all sorts of petty low level officials will soon be able to flick through the notes on your life at will. This story is an appalling example.