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Original poster

Question about NHS staff looking themselves up on medical system

118 replies

whatisdrowsybutawake · 10/03/2023 09:37

Hi, my DH is a newly qualified mental health psychiatrist and has been employed by NHS (Scotland) for few months. I have name changed for this post.

He admitted yesterday that out of curiosity he looked himself up on the system, and was able to access records from when he received treatment for his own mental health. He quickly realised this was inappropriate and is now very worried that this will be picked up in an audit and he could face disciplinary.

Does anyone have experience of this, or know if he is likely to be caught? He is unsure whether to raise it with his manager or just keep quiet about it. Thanks

OP posts:
RNLD1981 · 10/03/2023 09:39

My trust

RNLD1981 · 10/03/2023 09:41

My trust audit for this monthly - people who search for names the same as their own are automatically identified and manually checked by the information governance lead. It will be identified and will have been clearly states to be unacceptable in systems/IT training. I would be planning for a new job

Iluvfriends · 10/03/2023 09:44

It is 100% not allowed. Your DH is right to be worried as it will be picked up on.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General health
WasIWasINot · 10/03/2023 09:46

He will absolutely have known that this wasn’t allowed, it will be made very clear to him when he was doing his training, so wtf was he thinking?

mummabubs · 10/03/2023 09:48

Yup, as above. There will be a record of him having logged in and done this. My trust audits for this and has a flagging system. He can't change having done it, but he should probably reflect on what led to him making this poor choice. (I'd also suggest he has zilcho excuse for ever considering this as it's in all mandatory training for nhs staff and is common knowledge).

Ridikulus · 10/03/2023 09:49

Why would he do this when your entire health record is freely accessible to you on the NHS app?

Reallybadidea · 10/03/2023 09:51

He's a psychiatrist? So, a doctor who has already gone through numerous years of training? How could he have not known this?

Anyway, best course of action is to approach his manager now of his own volition. That will go in his favour. I'd be surprised if he lost his job over it, the NHS is so desperate for staff that I've known people do far worse and keep their jobs and registration.

Cornelious2011 · 10/03/2023 09:51

As a psychiatrist I'd imagine he's pretty intelligent and has worked in the nhs before this. He should speak to a manager about it.

feelinglikeanewparent · 10/03/2023 09:51

"He quickly realised this was inappropriate"

His training would've made clear this is not permitted long before he 'realised'

JauntyJinty · 10/03/2023 09:52

I know not the point of the thread, but why is it an issue for someone to access their own medical records?

CherieBabySpliffUp · 10/03/2023 09:54

Can I ask what is wrong with someone looking themselves up on the system?

Username721 · 10/03/2023 09:54

It’ll be picked up on, yeah.

Each Trust will have technology that scans for someone accessing files without a clinical need - someone with the same surname, same DOB etc will trigger a check.

Of course in some cases Dr Smith had to access John Smith’s record as he was their patient and it’s a common name.

In your husband’s case, usually when you log on to any NHS system you have to click something which reminds you that improper use is forbidden and by proceeding you’re accepting that you understand this.

I’m sorry but I find it impossible to believe that someone in his position didn’t know this isn’t allowed before he checked.

Depending on the breach, it’s possibly gross misconduct.

whydoesitalwayshappentome · 10/03/2023 09:55

It is made very clear when you start that you cannot look yourself or anyone you know up. He might get away with a disciplinary but usually it is being sacked.

I work in mental health and have had colleagues/people I know on the ward being treated and I always get someone else to write their notes.

Verylongtime · 10/03/2023 09:55

yes, it will be picked up on.

Is he really a psychiatrist? A fully qualified doctor? Or do you mean psychologist? Or a counsellor?

Mammut · 10/03/2023 09:57

We don’t have the nhs app for records in Scotland @Ridikulus .

It would be better for him to flag it up now with the clinical director. He has a duty to be open and honest about any mistakes. It’s marginally better that it was his own records rather than those of another person.

Elsiebear90 · 10/03/2023 09:57

I don’t think anything will come of it tbh, I know loads of people who have done this over the years and nothing has happened. I don’t think they have time to manually check every single time a member of staff accesses the record of someone with the same name, for people with common names this would happen so frequently.

Fifi0000 · 10/03/2023 09:58

He needs to report himself it will be picked up. You can submit an subject access request to request your medical notes like any of the public has too . I don't know why you would want to look through your medical notes psychiatric anyway it's very personal and can be upsetting.

shmiz · 10/03/2023 09:58

I can’t believe that he did not know that it is policy to NOT look up medical records of anyone you don’t need to for clinical / work reasons …..

I think he knew, did it anyway and is now sweating over it …

nhs staff like everyone else have to go through the proper channels to access their medical records - doh

Phewthatwasclose · 10/03/2023 09:58

An acquaintance of mine did this when she was waiting for her cancer screening results and they were taking ages to come through - she looked herself up on the system to see if there was anything there that she hadn't been told yet.

I don't know if she ever got caught, but years later she's still working in the same hospital so it definitely wasn't a sacking offence in her case!

Baffledismydefault · 10/03/2023 09:59

Our clerkess looked up her own records and the next day a senior manager from the trust phoned to give a formal warning. I'm also aware of a doctor in the same position. It's such a no no, whether or not you agree with it.

Fifi0000 · 10/03/2023 09:59

CherieBabySpliffUp · 10/03/2023 09:54

Can I ask what is wrong with someone looking themselves up on the system?

It's a data protection breach. Also you are seeing sensitive information especially in mental health services that might not be helpful for you to see.

mummabubs · 10/03/2023 10:00

Verylongtime · 10/03/2023 09:55

yes, it will be picked up on.

Is he really a psychiatrist? A fully qualified doctor? Or do you mean psychologist? Or a counsellor?

Just curious as to why it would make any difference with the other two professions mentioned here? Both also include a lengthy training route and a doctorate in the case of clinical psychologists, so wouldn't expect them to be any different!? Plus the mandatory training about information governance (including not looking yourself up on medical record systems) is literally for every NHS employee - band 2 upwards! So no excuse not to know whether you've been in post for 10 days or 10 years.

Verylongtime · 10/03/2023 10:01

JauntyJinty · 10/03/2023 09:52

I know not the point of the thread, but why is it an issue for someone to access their own medical records?

You can get access to your medical records -but you do it through the proper channels by requesting them formally.

TheFeistyFeminist · 10/03/2023 10:03

He's breached the IT access policy, the information governance policy and almost certainly his professional body requirements as well as the disciplinary policy at work.

He has an obligation to raise this to his manager now. It was one record, his own, not a third party, and he is hopefully full of regret and reflection.

He is likely to be disciplined, but I don't know how far they may take it. I've known people be sacked for gross misconduct but that's more likely for a breach of multiple records.

WasIWasINot · 10/03/2023 10:05

I would question the integrity of someone in such a position of trust that he clearly has no consideration for the rules and is clearly so arrogant as to think they shouldn’t apply to him.

He absolutely knew what he was doing was wrong. If he tells you anything else then he is lying.