Doctors receptionist called my husband because I missed app

[deadsexy]

OK random I know but this has been bothering me.

I had an appointment today for a asthma review, was at 4pm.

I knew around 3.30 there was no chance I was going to make it, was stuck at work and for various reasons I couldn't get away. I tried to call them no less than 20 times but they were engaged.

All forgot about left work at 16.30, came home, DH arrives home at 17.30 to say doctors have called saying you missed appointment and you need to call them.

I was quite surprised but now I think I'm abit miffed about data protection/privacy/confidentiality.

I'm going to call them tomorrow....

Did they call on his mobile or on home phone?

that's not on - please complain. the next person they do that to might be in a controlling relationship and be put in danger.

Yup, not on at all.

And of course apologise profusely. I doubt you'd have realised so late if it was a dentist and they'd charge you for missing the appt.....

That's odd. If calling a landline they should have asked to speak to you.

Maybe you signed a form allowing them to contact him?? Otherwise unacceptable.

Husband or not that breaks confidentiality and data protection, and could have been safe guarding issue as pointed out by pp.

I know in my Doctors.
They're not allowed to divulge the fact that you even have an appointment

Is it confidentiality breach to say someone had an appt?

I don't think I'd be miffed if the garage, hairdresser, school or dentist rang & spoke to DH to say I missed an appt.

Our GP practice phones our house every single week to give my hisnband his blood test results - every time I ask who is calling and they won’t even say it is the health centre, just that it is a private call.

Ten years and they haven’t breached confidentiality by one tiny iota.

The hairdresser and seeing a GP can’t really be compared. What if there was DV or any issue that a woman didn’t want their partner to know? Not ok.

On the flip side..... I had a very worrying blood test result; my phone was on silent and my GP phoned my husband to give him the result. Sometimes it works.

I keep getting texts and phone calls for my dh and my 18yo ds. I think it's administrative errors. God knows why my number was ever set up as dh's contact, or how the system is set up though. I kept giving them the correct number, but until dh did it himself, nothing changed. Now they phone him, I'm still getting all of his text reminders. Ds's makes more sense, as I was the correct contact until he turned 18. Why they can't update the system properly, though...

I suspect GDPR applies equally, though, to hairdresser & the dentist & the GP.
OP hasn't explained if this call was on building landline.

I have access to GP records in my job. Patient contact data usually has an alternative contact and ‘gives consent for x to be contacted’. Are you sure you didn’t at some point put his details on a form?

My DH had an emergency operation. They asked for a contact phone number while we were in hospital and we gave them my mobile number as he didn't have his on him at the time. Now, even though he has told the hospital the correct number on more than one occasion, they continue to send me text messages about his follow up appointments. I think it's got a lot to do with the lumbering bureaucratic systems of the NHS - have you ever given the doctors your phone number OP?

His mobile number will show on your details if he’s next of kin, it may not be clear on their system that they are his details and they have made every effort to remind you of your appointment, did they discuss with him any details or just ask you to return the call. If they have his details then you probably gave them to them, not data protection or patient confidentiality was breached. Missed appointments cost the NHS millions a year. Yabu to make an issue about this wasting nhs time and money. I bet you would’ve made more of an effort to attend if you had to pay for it.

I'm sure it was only because he is your next of kin via the details you gave them.

You missed the appointment: your bad.

A few months ago the optician phoned my parents to remind them that I had an eye test due - my parents passed the message on. I then rang the opticians to explain that thank you for reminding my parents re my upcoming appointment but at the age of 53 and with grown up children of my own they don't Parent my medical needs anymore! I did see the funny side

But it is different @lljkk, as NHS employees we're bound by patient confidentiality. If OP hadn't consented to her next of kin being made aware then it was dodgy ground for him to be told. The receptionist should have simply asked to speak with OP, not divulged that she had an appointment or missed it. Hairdressers are not bound by the same confidentiality bind as healthcare.

Could you have emailed them about missing the appointment. It is a bad system If you can't get through to cancel.
They rang his mobile?

Totally breaching confidentiality,I used to do that job and no way were you allowed to divulge anything or even say that you were ringing from the doctors.Complain to The practice manager.

His mobile we don't have a landline

Bloody hell, op. People in our surgery miss 300 appointments per month. No wonder it takes so fucking long to see a doctor.

You should have rung earlier.

I know I should. I simply couldn't get away from work.