GP data protection breach

[alahanscornershop]

I've been checking my NHS app and it appears that someone else's details are on my notes.
I can see their DOB, NHS number, and the reason why they contacted the GP with their personal information on it.

I've sent an email to the practice but no reply, who else can I report this too. Apart from me being able to see someone else's medical problem, I'm also concerned that my details may be on someone else's NHS app.

When did you send your email? GP practices are perpetually overworked/under-resourced and that applies to the management and admin of the practices as much as the GPs themselves. So if it was just last week they may not have got around to investigating and getting back to you yet. Did you email the practice manager directly, or was it just a generic practice/office email? Go to the practice manager directly if you can.

You can also complain directly to the Information Commissioner's Office - though realistically at this point they would only really be able to also go to the practice and say hey we've had this complaint please look into it.

The person. Whos details needs to complain

Weirdly after posting this I got a reply!

If I could contact the person who's details and medical query where on my account I would!! I'd be furious if mine were on someone else's!

This is really serious!

Yes happened to my daughter.. exact same thing.
She reported to the practice. She just got an apology.. it was about the person in question mental health too.

Obviously it's serious, and to be mentioned, but also mistakes do occasionally happen in every workplace. Thats always been my philosophy, anyway.

I’ve just checked my APP, and can’t see how someone else’s details would be on my records where it says their name, DoB and NHS number. The part where it details, for example, when I’ve visited or had a phone consult with the GP only has my name and info about the consult. No DOB or NHS number.

This is under the GP record section, I think it's under events. This is also regarding someone's mental health.

The reply basically says "Sorry it's a mistake, I'll tell the person who made it, we made a human error, and will remove the details" I've just checked and it's still there.

My practice is absolutely diabolical and unfortunately this doesn't surprise me.

This has prompted me to check my app and there is a message about a cancelled recall health ch ckwith a name on it which isnt me

Does anyone know if that will be a member of staff at the practice or a patient, I haven't been contacted about any health checks

The surgery should have someone who deals with Information Governance. Ask to speak to this person directly, and/or the practice manager.

Just found this article which may be helpful, including information for patients.

https://transform.england.nhs.uk/information-governance/guidance/personal-data-breaches/

Thankyou for the link.

The details are still there this morning 😠

This is happening to me too, the app is telling me I’m on an ENT waiting list when I’ve never been to the GP about anything like that. There’s also stuff about fit note requests which I never made. This is really serious especially if you can see another persons private information. It needs reporting to the Information Commissioners Office asap

You need to email the Caldicott Guardian at your GP practice. They will be named on the practice website, or you can google them. Often, but not always, they will be the practice manager.
Your email must be sent to the Caldicott Guardian email address and the subject line must specify that it is concerning a data breach.

I requested copies of my entire medical notes from my old gp practice two years ago. As I am housebound a friend was allowed to collect them for me as long as she took her id and mine to show reception staff.
My friend was given a huge box of papers and dropped them off to me. When I opened the box they turned out to be somebody else’s notes with absolutely everything about a man who lives locally to me. I wasn’t trying to read his personal information but I skimmed the top of each page just to check that my notes weren’t mixed in.
I contacted the gp practice who seemed unconcerned to the degree they expected me to return them and only agreed to come and collect the notes after I insisted I was not going to be asking my friend to come and drive to and fro again due to their error. I asked for reassurance that this man hadn’t been given my notes and was told that he hadn’t as the other notes (mine) had been sent to the man’s solicitor not to him directly and the solicitor had been told to return them unopened.
I was very tempted to contact the man and tell him about what had happened but was told that if I did this I would be breaching gdpr myself by acting on information received in error.
It seems this sort of thing is not uncommon.