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Original poster

Gross invasion of personal privacy by neighbour

155 replies

gldd · 19/10/2020 20:58

Hi everyone, I wondered if I could ask the thoughts of the Mumsnet community on a sensitive issue regarding personal / medical privacy. Around 1 year ago my wife and I suffered through a positive NIPT and then scan confirming severe chromosomal abnormalities 12 weeks into our pregnancy, followed by an extremely upsetting medical termination. We are still dealing with this loss and its associated sadness with the help of a professional counsellor. My wife is a private person and has chosen to share this information only with a counsellor, family, and close friends.

Last week during baby loss awareness week we received through our letterbox a handwritten note from one of our next-door neighbours commiserating my wife on her loss and explaining in some detail our neighbour’s past fertility problems (she now has two small children). This neighbour, who is not a friend (we only very occasionally see her and say hello) works part-time as a receptionist at our local surgery. Earlier this year, for a number of reasons including the fact that our neighbour may view our confidential medical records, my wife decided to move to another nearby surgery. This neighbour had clearly accessed my wife’s (or my?) medical records, presumably has shared the information with her partner and mother (with whom she lives for now), and then decided to write my wife the message.

My first reaction was shock that a stranger could access and share what I would consider to be the most intimate and private medical information. Surely this is in breach of surgery rules, medical confidentiality, or even the law, especially given GDPR? A friend we have shared this with is of the opinion that it constitutes a sackable offence. At the time, my wife was also shocked (and upset) but perhaps more forgiving and so wrote a brief note thanking her for her concern and thoughts. Obviously, it would be very difficult to be on bad terms with our immediate neighbour. I can imagine them taking offense quite easily. In recent days and thinking about it more my wife has been very upset at the breach of privacy, at the reminder of our upsetting experience, her uninvited unburdening, at the thought that our near-neighbour nosed through our records without our permission, and at the fact that although the note was thoughtful in a way, was actually far more about our neighbour and about her difficulties. Perhaps it was a way for her to process her own experiences?

We’re wondering what next steps to take and would be interested in thoughts. Has anyone had a similar experience? Can anyone advise on the legal position here? My wife and I have discussed it at length and my wife feels that it would be too upsetting to bring it up herself. Neither of us would want our neighbour to lose her job, however surely I should bring this up with the practice to ensure that safeguarding procedures are in place, that medical information is confidential and kept confidential, and that this would not happen again? I have decided to leave the practise myself. I’m also thinking of raising it with the neighbour, though that will be a difficult conversation. Should we leave it and put her mistake down to the foolishness of youth? I’d be interested in everyone else’s thoughts.

Thankyou

OP posts:
serialreturner · 20/10/2020 04:34

I'd throw the bloody book at her.

Aridane · 20/10/2020 05:13

@LaBellina - why would you do that ?

ConiferGate · 20/10/2020 05:30

Something doesn’t sit right with this post. The very idea that someone would knowingly risk their job to write on such an incredibly sensitive issue to someone they barely know is quite unthinkable.

However, assuming it is true, her intentions are far from malicious and you therefore have to think carefully about the consequences of your actions. I would probably suggest taking a step back and time to decide, now may not be the time to be making decisions if you are still grieving.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Families
ScrapThatThen · 20/10/2020 05:35

Sharing it with anyone outside the practice is sackable - are you sure she has? And sending you the letter was hugely inappropriate. However I do not think it's unreasonable that she typed or opened letters with your confidential information as part of her job. For example in my role in the NHS, if a case involves someone I know personally I will step outside the room when their case is discussed. If just an acquaintance then I let the team know the connection but might still be involved in their care. This has happened with people who live in my street for example. GPs, teachers, social workers all come across highly sensitive information about members of their community and this is not talked about disrespectfully or excessively but in the course of their duties confidential conversations will be shared with administrative staff or happen in their presence. I think you probably ought to report it, but she could face disciplinary action and of course this might be difficult.

LaBellina · 20/10/2020 06:04

@Aridane because what the neighbour did is really an unacceptable violation of privacy but the last thing anyone would need is having trouble with your neighbours. Asking someone else to report it so you can say it wasn't you, is a middle ground to solve this dilemma but I appreciate that it's a tricky one.

Sleephead1 · 20/10/2020 06:33

Hi op I work in a surgery there are lots of different admin jobs. Some of the staff will have potentially seen the letter as they are the ones who read the letters, code them and then pass onto the appropriate person eg Gp, pharmacy , ring to make follow up appts ect. So it is possible if that is her role she has seen the letter. Every member of staff is generally trained in confidentiality and signs an agreement to maintain confidentiality. It is gross misconduct to breach confidetiality. I imagine this is the case in all GPs surgeries. Im very shocked not only that she would look but also that she would tell you she had! This can be investigated as it shows an audit trail everytime you enter a patients record and you need to have a reason for doing so. Please report it so this can be investigated.

Mmn654123 · 20/10/2020 06:39

@notangelinajolie

And yet you see no problem with sharing your wifes most personal medical information with us.
What an unpleasant comment. Proud of yourself?
Mmn654123 · 20/10/2020 06:47

I think you should send a copy of the letter to the practice manager with a brief cover letter saying your wife was a patient there until x date and that you received the attached. No more need be said.

Your neighbours lack of insight and self awareness is concerning. I’m sure she will be seeing many tragic and upsetting things in her workplace but if she responds by making it all about her, sending ‘kind’ letters and trying to be a ‘good’ supportive person to random people in the community then the practice will be damaged and confidence in the NHS undermined. Please consider alerting the practice manager. What she did isn’t ok. And her reasons for sending the letter were selfish and self indulgent. Anyone working in healthcare knows to reflect on their own issues when a particular patient ‘touches’ them emotionally and deal with those emotions appropriately. Appropriate does not include spewing them into a letter for a random neighbour to process. And effectively obliging that person to sympathise with the receptionists own troubles when they encounter them. Really very not ok.

Satlie2019 · 20/10/2020 07:12

I am really sorry for your loss. I think she may well have come across the information entirely innocently, but her behaviour after this was inappropriate. She may have had only good intentions in sending the letter and felt a huge amount of empathy after her own experince, but she should have had the professional judgement not to. I don't know what to say the help beyond that, but you could explain to the practice what happened, that it is not a complaint but you think they should be aware so they can offer staff training. Staff who live locally to GP practices may often find out confidential information about and need to behave appropriately.

lljkk · 20/10/2020 07:18

She wrote in her note '... since I worked at xxx surgery I had to open and file letters / documents of yours

Wow. Actually wrote that? Certainly sounds too stupid to be allowed to keep her job.

Blue2309 · 20/10/2020 07:32

I can't believe people are saying that you should let it go...she has committed a major breach of privacy and as a previous poster has said, sometimes people need to be sacked.

She'll just go and do it to someone else next time. Clearly access to this kind of information has made her full of self importance...I don't believe for a second the posters who say that she had the best intentions. She was thinking about herself and making herself important, she wasn't thinking about your wife.

Report her asap.

Billben · 20/10/2020 07:35

I’m sorry, however well intentioned this was from the neighbour, there is no way I could let this go. I’d making an appointment with the practice manager and showing them the letter.

Billben · 20/10/2020 07:36

@notangelinajolie

And yet you see no problem with sharing your wifes most personal medical information with us.
It was an anonymous forum the last time I checked 🙄
CornishTiger · 20/10/2020 07:44

If she is true then make a complaint to practice manager.

The consequences are of her own doing if she loses her job.

RationalOne · 20/10/2020 07:48

"since I worked at xxx surgery I had to open and file letters / documents of yours...'."

Wow that is extremely insensitive and is an invasion of your privacy.

I'd would personally make a complaint. This is probably not the first time she has looked at a neighbours/friends notes if she feels it is ok to write this type of comment.

RationalOne · 20/10/2020 07:50

@gldd

Foolishness of youth - no way - imagine if she comments on a suicidal patient! The consequences could be extreme - please report before she does more damage. This is very serious.

Franticbutterfly · 20/10/2020 07:58

What an idiot this woman is. If I have ever seen the medical records of someone I know (I work in a healthcare setting and previously a medical centre) I stop working on it (if possible) and put it from my mind immediately. I would never, ever mention it to them. She should be sacked for this. Despite the official rules, anyone with half a brain knows that it is ethically wrong to do what she did.

badacorn · 20/10/2020 08:05

As PP said, confidentiality rules are there for good reasons, and the consequences of breaking them can actually be dangerous.

The GP practice need to know about this. The neighbour might lose her job or get a warning but what she has done is serious.

DoTheNextRightThing · 20/10/2020 08:17

Report her. And don’t worry about the fact they live next door. All my neighbours hate me, you get used to it.

GrossedOutted · 20/10/2020 08:17

Something similar happened to me - my information was used for financial coercion though.

The person involved lost their job.

However, there was no argument when it came to them sharing personal information from letters etc. they had opened - it was part of their job and the information was only shared with me so was not a breach of GDPR/DPA

I am sorry for your loss.

GrossedOutted · 20/10/2020 08:19

'... since I worked at xxx surgery I had to open and file letters / documents of yours...'

She did not look at medical records - she was opening letters / documents received which would have been part of her role. There will be no audit trail on this.

TurquoiseDragon · 20/10/2020 08:19

[quote Seychelles98]@Horehound has a point though! Also the OP has put so much information in his post that I'm sure the person who it's about would most definitely recognise themselves... everybody seems to be on Mumsnet these days... it's like the new Facebook! [/quote]
I doubt anyone would recognise the OP.

The post isn't actually that specific.

OP, so sorry for your loss. Thanks

Serendipity09 · 20/10/2020 08:24

I'm sorry for your loss.
Having been a practice manager, yes, receptionists can/do open post and pass it to the relevant colleague / deal with it.
When working in a local surgery you are going to recognise lots of the patients, it's just not feasible to pass the work to others every time you know someone.
BUT, you never discuss or mention anything you have read or seen to the patient, or anyone else!

You should take the letter to the practice manager and let her/him deal with the member of staff as I would definitely not have been happy that was going on in my surgery.

JamminDoughnuts · 20/10/2020 08:26

i have found out something about my oldest's friends dd, but I have not said a word!
nor should I

Ellmau · 20/10/2020 08:52

'Since I worked at xxx surgery I had to open and file letters / documents of yours...'

Worked? Not work?

Does she actually still work there? Because if not, she can't be sacked or disciplined.