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Any GP receptionists out there? Can you see medical records easily? What DO you see?

33 replies

QOD · 22/04/2014 21:05

Bit miffed that a mum who doesn't like me is now frigggin receptionist at my gp surgery.
I have had surgery that I absolutely 100% do NOT want her to know about (nasty gossip)

When you ring up to make an appointment I'm sure it's just name address etc, but what about things like test results and X-rays and so on? Do yu look into the records? Do you see it? Or it it just something on the periphery of the records that's accessed?

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Pantone363 · 22/04/2014 21:06

I'd be interested to know this.

GP receptionist is horrible mum bully at the school.

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MsIngaFewmarbles · 22/04/2014 21:07

I don't know about receptionists but I know as a HCPS we can be sacked for looking at any information which isn't relevant to the task/treatment we are doing.

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GirlsonFilm · 22/04/2014 21:09

Yes gp receptionists can access your whole medical records. They should only access elements needed for your care but this could mean any part of your medical history or test results.

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WellitsAllGoneNow · 22/04/2014 21:13

I worked as a GP's receptionist for a short time over 20 years ago. One of my jobs was filing letters and test results etc into patients' notes. This was before notes were put onto computers, but I had physical access to their whole file, yes.

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QOD · 22/04/2014 21:17

What can I do about this Sad

Do I have to leave?

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ColouringInQueen · 22/04/2014 21:18

Could you speak to the practice manager? I don't know how these things work, but it would be a shame if you had to something as drastic as leave.

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Alibabaandthe40nappies · 22/04/2014 21:18

I too used to work as a receptionist prior to everything being on computers. When you are filing notes and writing in prescription updates then yes you do see everything.

I know all kinds of things about all kinds of people, but I never give it a moment's thought and of course you don't repeat anything to anyone.

I don't know what the situation is with the new online systems - but I would imagine that someone would have to go digging to find out old information rather than simply adding new referral letters/test results etc.

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QOD · 22/04/2014 21:30

I don't want HER to know it and I am 100% sure she'd gossip. She has form!

Damn it, I have to ring tomorrow to make an appointment for dd and I, sciatica for me and a fungal skin infection for dd - to make it worse, 15 yr old dd is in her dds class and they don't like each other either ffs.

What a bloody blow, none of the mums are happy, there are 5 of us equally pee'd off and grrrr

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AlpacaYourThings · 22/04/2014 21:33

I've worked in a GP surgery, yes they can see all of your records.

In the GP surgery I worked in every time you looked at something it was recorded on the system.

It would be a breach of the data protection act for her to access anything he didn't have a reason to.

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QOD · 22/04/2014 21:39

Thanks alpaca Sad
We only have 2 surgeries and this is the older but I think better one, the new one is fancy schmantzy with on site pharmacy but you wait 2/3 weeks for an appointment. Mine, you ring 8:30 and I have NEVER not got an appointment
Sigh

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shouldnthavesaid · 22/04/2014 21:41

I think you can ask for some stuff to be kept more private. I have some stuff - a letter, and notes from certain appointments - that are hidden from my standard medical record as far as I know. GP said that no one can access them without prior need and a very good reason - even if they could access my main records. Something like they would only know that file existed if I told them or my GP told them.

It helps a lot and means I'm not worried - my friend works on reception and there's a lot I would very much not like her to know at all.

However I admit I did ring nhs 24 one afternoon with a mental health crisis. They told me to phone the surgery and my friend answered, I never told her what was wrong and just asked her to get the GP to call me. She phoned that evening - my friend did - and it was plain to see she knew why I wanted the GP to call.

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shouldnthavesaid · 22/04/2014 21:42

So what I'm saying is if there's anything you'd really, really not want to her know it is possible to have it hidden I think.

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nachohousekeeper · 22/04/2014 21:47

I am a practice manager and I am afraid to say it would be very difficult to say she can't access your notes.

However I would very much want to know about this situation so I could monitor whether and why she was accessing your notes.

If you get even the slightest whiff that she has looked without needing to she would very likely be sacked.

This is horrible for you - I would definitely speak to the manager to make her aware although try and keep it emotion free - just that you know her quite well and are concerned. PM me if you like.

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Kyyria · 22/04/2014 21:56

I am a Deputy Practice Manager and if you write to Practice explaining that you know them personal and that although you are aware of confidentiality clauses you would prefer it if she couldn't access your or your families records then they shod be able to password protect them so that only certain (designated) members of staff (usually GPs, nursing staff and management) can access them.

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Kyyria · 22/04/2014 21:57

Damn typos! That's what you get for replying on a phone!

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Musicaltheatremum · 22/04/2014 21:59

When booking an appointment you would see very little, just name and address. But she could see you diagnoses if scanning letters in. There are hundreds each day but your name on a letter may alert her to your diagnosis.
All computer users have their own login details and you can audit quite easily who has accessed the record. I would speak to your PM and ask her to discuss confidentiality in detail with your mum (she should have done so anyway) tell her it's a dismissible offence and that it is easy to audit who has opened a patient record.

I would ask that your mum immediately passes any contact to do with you to another member of staff. But if she opens mail she will see which department it is from but if she gossips that is not on.

The only other thing is for you to change GP surgeries but that isn't really fair on you.

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QOD · 22/04/2014 22:28

Thanks peeps.

So annoying as she sent her dd to a school out of HER area and has now taken a job In OUR area ... So alllll the school mums will now see her there. Ugh.
I should get over it really but I had bariatric surgery and it's none of her damn business or her other bitchy friends - I'm not proud of my surgery, embarrassed by it actually. I don't want them to know Sad

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3littlefrogs · 22/04/2014 22:36

I suppose you and all the other people who are worried about this could ask the practice manager to password protect your records.
If this person is a known gossip she isn't suitable to be in a position of trust with people's confidential records.

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allmixedupreally · 22/04/2014 22:51

Can I ask the same thing about hospital records. My SIL is a nurse at our local hospital and I am a bit concerned that she could look at my paper file and computer records for info about my med history as all my ops and treatments have been there. Is it possible for a nurse to look at any patients records providing she knows the name and d.o.b?

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Cleanthatroomnow · 22/04/2014 23:02

The point about confidentiality is that you may be privy to all sorts of very private info, but you NEVER tell. It's not just what's written down, but what you see and hear too.

OP--if your info got leaked, it would be pretty obvious where it came from and she could lose her job. Let's hope she understands that, eh?

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QOD · 22/04/2014 23:07

Hope so
Sigh moan whine

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ThePrisonerOfAzkaban · 22/04/2014 23:29

Yep she can see all your records. Had the same thing with ex best mate, looked up my history and went and blabbed to my ex about some things- rape, mental health etc I certainly didn't tell her any of that info. Wrote to PM but it brushed under the carpet. She still works there now. I moved doctors

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Musicaltheatremum · 22/04/2014 23:44

allmixed in our hospitals you cannot look at records unless treating the patient. It come up each time someone logs on. If they are not treating you they have no right to look. I had access to a system which would have allowed me to look at my husbands records. I never did as it would have cost me my job.

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ThingsThatShine · 23/04/2014 00:03

Does anyone know if it's possible to get something completely removed from medical records?

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Legologgo · 23/04/2014 00:05

Get this then. I have a former pupil as mine. Ew

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