Gdpr at the doctor's reception

I think this is a really important thing that the public have seemingly accepted for a long time, probably because they feel there's nothing they can do about it. Being expected to say your address in the chemist is absolutely ridiculous tbh. I just write it on my notes app and show it to the assistant. I don't want anyone in earshot to know exactly where I live when I'm off home carrying a bag of drugs.

As others have highlighted it's unrelated to GDPR as it's you yourself giving out your personal info publicly.

I'm always surprised chemists don't ask patients for ID to collect medication, unless it's a CD.

It's definitely not right in cases of adoption. I had a little girl in a class that I taught, and she and her brother- both with incredibly distinctive first names- were adopted, admittedly in another council, but not a million miles away from where they were born. I always wonder if they managed to stay under the radar, away from their birth family, for their own safety, as it wasn't recommended that their first names were changed after the adoption. They will now be in late primary/early secondary school, and I do hope that the adoption went well for both of them. The little girl was lovely!

The only thing that I do object to is disclosing why I would like an appointment, because I grew up in a village where everybody knew your business and your family, so attempting to maintain any form of privacy required a lot of effort!

No, she went into that private little room with a door to discuss what she needed. No one knew what she was waiting for.

Quite interesting to consider that in America this is strictly not allowed. The regulations in America are HIPAA if anyone wants to look it up. Different system of course but the way things are going in the UK, could be useful to know.

Totally. “Gross breach” what a drama llama

@PrizedPickledPopcorn And thst happens every day of the week to all of us? You need to find another way, but the rest of us don’t. You probably need another GP.

Presumably anyone standing nearby would also have heard her asking the pharmacist for it? 🤷🏻‍♀️

There is no need for anyone to have to call out their address in public. It isn’t niche. There are many reasons why some people need to keep it private.

Yes, if we know someone will be expecting us to call out our name and address, we can prepare a strategy. If. But why should we need to, when other people have come up with far better systems that don’t need it.

So have it written in your notes ready for whenever you need to share it in such a scenario. If that’s THAT important for you not to say it aloud then you can find this is a really easy solution! Help yourself instead of expecting the world to bow to your niche issue.

It damn well is when the birth family who are a risk to the child are stood next to you!

Exactly. Today's words spoken in the pharmacy while picking up DP's prescription were ' hi, we pay for this' as I handed over the paper, and they keep paid for in a separate box so it's quicker for them to find if you specify, and 'thanks' when I paid and he handed it over.

Last GP appointment I checked in on the touchscreen, and didn't say a word to anyone outside the consultation room, as they announce which room you should go to and show your name briefly on a screen. No other data shared publicly. Two different places, two good systems.

My post above yours literally tells you that there are, with a concrete example!

There are, however, always a certain % of people at risk from abusive ex partners, stalkers, and birth families in the case of adoption.

None of those affect me thankfully, but I can see how difficult it would be.

So two really simple adaptations that would work almost anywhere. So sensible. It'll never catch on!

There really are not people taking your details down in a shop or doctor’s who would use them illegally! Honestly!

But by requiring you to say your details out loud within earshot of other people, they are laying you open to the risk that someone else will use your details nefariously.

I had to give out my phone number in Zara in order to make a return. It was visible on the till screen facing outwards into the store. The person behind my in the queue made a note of my number and sent me abusive text messages. After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing I got Zara to change their policy, but I no longer shop there. What if, say, I’d escaped an abusive relationship and the person behind me knew my ex and took down my number and gave it to them ?

Boots requires you to give the date of birth and address of the person you’re collecting a prescription for. Those details can absolutely be used to commit fraud. We should all be much more aware that, even though giving our details does not in itself consist of a GDPR breach, other people can use those details illegally / to our detriment.

Yeah you can't breach gdpr by saying your own name and address. Or accidentally hearing someone else doing so.

If you noted down the data and then used it for purposes without the person's consent then you would be.

I guess they could have a little pad and pen and people can write it down, or they could just have it in their phone and raise the screen.

But the simple act of overhearing someone saying something personal about themselves isn't a breach of gdpr. As long as you don't 'steal' that information and use it.

@PrizedPickledPopcorn It absolutely is not. In hardly any circumstances! And they are safe house type families by and large. Safeguarding is not about saying your name. It’s about being groomed and abused.

I’m ann adoptive mum. Pre-adoption order my child’s name was the birth one they’d always had and giving that alone was a safeguarding concern.
Now their surname has changed but still saying first name and DOB or address is a worry for me in case someone who knows the birth family is around and recognises them.

It is surprisingly hard to get certain places (anything NHS related particularly) to understand and make adjustments for this.

My local pharmacy has a box of bits of paper and pens for you to write it down, it works well.

At my gp, you check in via a qr code or the screen on the wall, again, no issues.

Requiring people to say their address loudly in public is a safeguarding issue.

It was my address I had to share, and still do at the pharmacy. It’s no longer a problem. It was a safeguarding problem at the time.

If I’d not answered and started fiddling with my phone, I think she’d have moved on to the next person in line. When you are in a noisy environment with impatient people behind, and a deadline to check in for an appointment, it’s not easy to resist the pressure.

@MrThorpeHazell I don’t agree. It would help have all info held in one place. Certainly would help with security.

This info given verbally in a waiting room is nothing to do with gdpr. It’s a checking system. The law around holding and sharing info is what matters. Not saying your name!

You could just write it on your phone and hand it over.

And what is someone going to do with your name and birthday?