Fucking gp receptionist....

[Hellbentwellwent]

I’m livid.

Just called in the surgery to get a repeat prescription and while I was there thought I’d ask if my blood results had come back. So I asked the receptionist.... for clarity there is a desk in the waiting room which is the only place to speak to the receptionist. There were other patients sitting waiting, easily in earshot, 8 foot away, and it was quiet. All I wanted to know was if I had to speak to the gp or if there was nothing to note on the results. Instead however the receptionist thought it was appropriate to announce to us all in the waiting room that my hormone profile was in line with a hysterectomy. Thanks very fucking much, I’ve just had a hugely traumatic surgery, very recently, I’m in my mid thirties so young to have had it done and feeling pretty bloody emotional over the whole thing in the first place and this this silly bint decides to share it with a room full of patients.

I said thank you, she smiled and said you’re welcome, then I said, no, thank you for sharing that with everyone, and the smile melted of her face as I looked around at a room full of people looking at us.

I walked out on the verge of tears. Just got home furious.

What the fuck ever happened to patient confidentiality???

I shall be emailing the practice manager after a glass of wine to complain.

YANBU op. It was a very unprofessional response. You have every right to complain, and I’m sorry you went through that 💐

I’m honestly shocked that so many of you think that ‘because the nhs is under pressure’ our data should be happily handled with no regards to confidentiality. Sure fuck it who cares

I'm so pissed off on your behalf.

Reading some of the 'justifications' for her incompetence on here are pissing me off even more. The mental gymnastics people will go through...

I hope the receptionist doesnt get into a lot of trouble because of you

If she gets into trouble, it will be because of her own actions - OP was the victim!

so, PP, the answer to the question "are my results in" is loudly sharing patient history?
it's a simple yes/no question - for an NHS under pressure the easy answer is yes or no. No need excuse this kind of bullshit - yes they are under pressure but they're a GP receptionist. They MUST know what the word 'confidentiality' means

That is breech of confidentiality and very serious and should be reported. Next time it could be something more serious.

If she gets into trouble, it will be because of her own actions - OP was the victim!

Absolutely the OP is the victim. But this level of anger over a mistake which, with training, won't happen again - seems very strange to me

thickwoolytights training that she’ll hopefully receive as a direct consequence of my complaint! So yay me.... Also what levels of anger... im on an anonymous thread, venting, you don’t think I worded my email differently? I can assure you my email was perfectly civil and factual

That is breech of confidentiality and very serious and should be reported

It is not a breach of confidentiality if you give someone information when they have just asked you for it. The receptionist should have been more sensitive, but she has not breached the OP's confidentiality.

I sympathise, had a horrible experience with a GP receptionist. Some years ago, HIV and AIDS hysteria at the time. DD had a needlestick injury, then she was ill. Uni sent her home to recover but said they needed her to have HIV test so she did. Asked me to go and get her results, they had permission to give them to me. So I went in and asked, lots of fussing and they said it is clear. Great.

She told Uni and they said they needed a copy of the result so I go back and they give me results of a test she had for anaemia months before. I said no not what I want. Lots of fussing around then asking me what the test was, I said it was a blood test on such and such a date. They kept asking so in the end I said HIV test, horrible with the waiting room looking on. Oh no the result wasn't back. So they'd given me the result of an old test, mind you I don't know how testing your iron levels can come back clear?

I went mad, saw the manager and complained about the wrong information and being pressed for such sensitive information in public. She said the result wasn't back and I said I wanted it, it had been such a relief to get the all clear and I just couldn't face going home and telling her it was a mistake. In the end they phoned the lab and got the result, I said no I want it emailed so they got that for me.

I don't think receptionists should be giving out results they don't understand and they should be trained about confidentiality. I don't blame you and hope you raise hell with them.

There is no money for "training". Someone will say don't worry Jane and file it in the bin. Most people would have assumed you were asking for the results.

I asked a receptionist if my test result was back. She could have just said "yes and the result was negative". Instead she chose to let the whole waiting know the result, loudly saying "It was negative which is just as well as you're far too old to be having a baby".

She had zero empathy and made no attempt to judge whether or not this would be good news for me. As I burst into tears and left rapidly hopefully it might have dawned on her that she handled it badly. I didn't see her again.

I’m not invalidating your feelings. You posted on a forum for what? People to agree with you?

It is not a breach of confidentiality if you give someone information when they have just asked you for it. She didn't ask for it, she asked if the results were back, the answer should have been yes. If the OP wanted any more information she could have asked for it.

But this level of anger over a mistake which, with training, won't happen again - seems very strange to me

Right, but if OP hadn't complained, the receptionist's need for training would never be known and she might do the same thing to others.

OP didn't scream and shout and rant at the receptionist- she made a dignified and understated comment, given the circumstances, and followed it up with a formal complaint. She then came to Mumsnet to vent because there is obviously a backstory about her medical history that she also wanted to get off her chest.

I don't find any of that strange.

I think your anger is way disproportionate to what actually happened
I don’t agree at all.

I think your unhappiness about the bloods result played a part in your (over) reaction
I think it’s op’s business how she feels about her results, and her right not to have it broadcast to a waiting room of people. Drs receptionists have a responsibility to be sensitive about information, and this person fucked up. She needs to understand that her actions can have serious consequences for patients. The op did not over react.

I’m 100% with you OP. Never mind telling you the results Vs not telling you, the details of your medical history were irrelevant - it wasn’t like you needed telling what surgery you had just had! “Your results are normal in line with your recent procedure” would have been much better and equally informative to you. It doesn’t take medical training to have a bit of human empathy and tact!! X

I'm yet to go into a medical centre where at least one receptionist there wasn't a brash gobshite yelling everyone's business. It's almost like a pre-requisite for the job in some places.
Of course some are perfectly pleasant to deal with but a lot of time I can hear patients coming in, obviously trying to keep their voice down, and Foghorn Leghorn will be relaying their business to everyone in the waiting room.

Enjoy your wine, OP. I hope what you said made the receptionist reflect on the way she acted long after you left.

@MrsCollinssettled Jesus, that’s awful, I’m so sorry you were spoken to like that, and I’m so sorry you didn’t get the results you were hoping for.

Longines yy

It is not a breach of confidentiality if you give someone information when they have just asked you for it. She didn't ask for it, she asked if the results were back, the answer should have been yes

But, as I said above, it is perfectly normal to ask for something by implication. No one just responds to questions literally. As I have said several times, I think the receptionist handled this badly, but there is no way the ICO is going to treat this as a data breach when the OP used a form of words that many people would have interpreted as meaning, "Could you tell me my results?".

She definitely breached your confidentiality and I’m sorry for what you’re going through.
You don’t have a right to know if/when she’s disciplined, that’s confident to her. However, they can generally reassure you.

There is no money for "training"

It doesn't cost any extra for someone to say 'everyone, we've had a complaint about confidentiality so please remember not to read test results out loud as the waiting area is open plan'.

I had a receptionist breach confidentiality in a very similar way recently at my DC's hospital appt. I wrote a huge essay on one of their feedback forms while we were waiting to go in, and then on the next appt a few weeks later (same clinic) the procedure had changed and she asked me to come round and look at the screen to confirm some medical details instead. My DS shouldn't have to be humiliated in front of a load of other kids for the sake of efficiency.

That is the sort of information only a doctor should tell you, no-one else, definitely complain!

The receptionist just needed to show some sensitivity and not announce personal information to all within earshot. You've a right to express your dissatisfaction with that.

On a much more minor level I don't know why they have to ask for full date of birth when surname and birthday will distinguish most patients. My age has been announced to most of the village by now!