Secretly Recorded by GP

GP rarely provide any medical evidence.
Starting with the fact they rarely know how the illness you have actually impacts your life…. So they can’t answer any of the PIP questions.

I do think you are being a bit unreasonable, I don't know what you think the GP would be doing with it other than maybe to consult with a colleague or to maybe remind themselves while typing notes etc.

@Erinsborough for exactly the same reason that some HCP look at other patients notes. And some of them aren’t exactly nice.
Thats why there are such strict rules around recording information for a patient, who can access etc…
If you can’t think of any reason why someone would do that, I think you’re been very naive to say the least.

In which case then you can pick them upon this.

Why did you listen to the recording that you knew would be upsetting?

I can totally understand why you’d be annoyed at being recorded without your permission/awareness.

How did you find out? I wonder if the doctor has a cognitive need to record . I have dyslexia so forget things and have recorded things in the past- but with permission of course.

I would ask for a Subject Access Request of all recordings held on you. I would then go to the ombudsman . Also, change GPs.

I don’t know why so many people are defending this as it doesn’t matter if it’s the NHS. You can’t consent to something unless you know it’s going on.

Good idea, this is a great use of their time and the GPs time looking into a non issue. This thread encapsulates a lot that is wrong with our interaction with health, education etc. People getting offended about sweet f.a.

Yes they are! Face to face appointments are recorded in writing! Over the phone, it's easier to record, then the GP doesn't miss anything by taking notes while talking. Makes perfect sense!

And this is the absolute crap doctors surgeries have to deal with rather than treating patients.

Calls are recorded and it says that when you book or before the call.

You are wasting GP surgery time etc.

There is some person out there wanting to speak to their doctor about something urgent but instead the doctor is being pulled up about this complaint.

Shame on you OP.

Also, does the prime minister know? With so much going on in the world right now this should clearly take top priority,

Medical secretary at a GP practice here. We record the calls that come in at reception and also if we phone out and a message says this as soon as the patient picks up the phone or as soon as the guys at reception do so the patient is aware. We don't record the calls in the doctors rooms the only time we do the patient is asked for their consent first as we are a training practice so our GP trainees do have to record a certain amount of calls to go over with their trainer (would be one of the GP partners) and part of the criteria is they can't all be the same kind of topic to see how the GP deals with different ailments, symptoms etc. These can also be video'd in the surgery at face to face appointments but again patient has to consent first. Our calls that we do record don't get added to patients file and get automatically deleted after 3 months.

I do think you are being a bit unreasonable, I don't know what you think the GP would be doing with it other than maybe to consult with a colleague or to maybe remind themselves while typing notes etc.

Also regarding PIP they usually write to the practice themselves and the patient has to sign a consent first. You can't just leave things out your medical record because you don't want them to know. It can be fraud if you are leaving stuff out that may impact how much benefits you get etc.

The discussion you had was confidential. The GP will make the usual concise notes, then the recording will be deleted. Recording is made to protect the practice staff from abuse and malicious litigation. Also to monitor quality of clinical practice (the patient would not be identified during that, unless the patient made a complaint about the interaction they wanted investigating).

How ridiculous of you. Of course you’re being unreasonable. Most GPs record conversations, it’s not just about you believe it or not.

Believe me, people are abusive to GPs all the time. A colleague of mine was sent a knife in the post. We've had someone pour petrol over themselves in our waiting room and try to light a match.

I don't think I have ever seen someone get upset in a GP setting

A great many people get upset in GP settings. All the time.

Not where I work! Not where my husband works! Not where my daughter works! And consultations with my GP surgery are NOT recorded!

I have just checked my GP website and nowhere on there does it say anything about calls being recorded. I think the recorded message when you phone in says something about all calls are recorded for training purposes, but it's been a while since I've phoned.
But I would never have thought my GP would have been recording our conversation. Like a pp said, I would expect my conversation with the receptionist to be recorded as they are more likely to have to deal with grumpy patients. If calls are recorded then are person appointments recorded?
But, as you said @UPSETPATIENT your GP called you and didn't tell you this was happening so I can understand why you are upset, especially since your other calls don't appear to have been.

Btw @K10f1 do you think patients understand that those calls can be listened to by whoever ‘to check the quality of care’?
Do you really think they know a random person will learn about their struggles?
Dont you think that if people knew, this would have an impact t on what they tell you, just like having a student in the room changes dynamics?

Im quite horrified to learn that this is what’s happening tbh.

I’m sorry but
1- if I have a message telling me all calls are recorded, I’ve always assumed it’s the calls to reception. Not GPs. If a call with a GP is recorded, THEY have to tell patients because it’s absolutely not obvious. It’s also in the GMC guidelines!
2- in the OP’s case, the GP rung so there was no recorded message. How was she supposed to know?

It very much feels like many of head banging conversations I’ve had with reception staff/HCP where they tell me ‘But if xyz happens, it’s obvious you should do abc’ as if I knew how the NHS works inside out as they do, knew guidelines, who does what or when you should move from care by a nurse to care by a GP.
Patients arent mind readers. Theyre not HCP or NHS staff. Stop expecting them to just know because it’s obvious to you!

True, but GPs have to accept a lousy contract that no truly self employed person would ever sign up to. They don't have genuine freedom to do what they want.