Doctors receptionist!

[Kazz03]

Just after some advice and wondering what others would do. Just had a message on my phone from the doctors about my son and how they’ve booked him an appointment for later.... we haven’t been to the doctors today so I phoned them straight away and was basically fobbed off by the receptionist that whoever made the call must have just clicked on the wrong patient. I don’t feel that this is acceptable due to patient confidentiality. Am I just being moody and accept that this was a genuine mistake or should I complain? I work in the NHS and patient confidentiality is taken very seriously. Thanks

I don’t understand, did they give away any personal information?

What information did she give that breaks patient confidentiality?

How old is your son? Could he have been to the Doctor's/contacted them himself previously?

Well did the phone message contain information relating to another patient? I.e. wrong name or just "Hi Mrs Kazz please bring your son in at 3.00".

It's only a breach of confidentiality if the other person's details have been disclosed to you, surely? Otherwise it's just a mistake.

Was it a simple “this is a text reminder for your appointment @..”? Or did it contain personal info?

He’s only 5 so he wouldn’t have been to the doctors himself. No the other persons details were not given but I just feel that mistake’s like that shouldn’t be made by a doctors surgery. Also if I hadn’t told them that they’d made an appointment for the wrong person, this other child could have missed their appointment.

Mistakes can be made by anyone. Nothing outrageous happened, so I would just forget it if I were you.

It sounds like a simple case of human error, no data protection issues to consider - unless the receptionist told you the name of the other child concerned.

Can you explain how this breaks patient confidentiality as I don't see it? You wasn't given anyone else's information and there is nothing to suggest your son's info was given to anyone else? Just an error.

I can't see any breach of Data Protection and I really can't see why you'd want to complain. Mistakes are made. You've phoned the surgery & made them aware. The reason the receptionist gave sounds reasonable. Just leave it

It's just a mistake. Lordy, why do some people seem in such a rush to make a complaint?

I'm slightly alarmed by the fact that you work in the NHS and don't appear to understand the basic concepts around patient confidentiality yourself.

It sounds like a simple human error, complaining won't achieve anything except make you look silly and unreasonable.

"I'd like to complain that a human being made an honest mistake."

Go for it OP. And expect the biggest heap of karma next time you make a mistake.

They have only made a mistake, not broken any rules.

I work in a surgery it does happen occasionally honestly it's not brilliant but as they havnt disclosed any patient information to you they havnt broken confidentiality. I'd say it's a honest human error but if you are unhappy absolutely request to speak to the practice manager about it.

Thank you sleephead1, it’s good to get an honest opinion from someone who works in a surgery. I was a little concerned at the time but have to agree with you that sometimes these things happen.