GP surgery rang my husband after I ignored their call

[MyAquaCrow]

First of all I am new here so please bear with me. I am overdue a smear, and my GP surgery tried to call me twice today to book it. Both times I was unable to pick up the phone, so after the second missed call they then dialled my husband's mobile phone. He could not pick up as he was under the kitchen sink at the time, but the fact that they called him has really angered me. He is listed as my NOK, but his number is not down as a contact number for me. Is this right?

Exactly. It doesn't matter the reason why, they should not discuss your health with anyone else (except obviously in an emergency or if you are accompanying them to an operation or whatever).

Well, yes, he needs to call back and ask what it was about.

They could just have been ringing him to check they had your current contact details. They are unlikely to have discussed your medical information with him.

Was a message left?
The likelihood is they called the alternative number, which must be on your records.
If your husband had not been under the kitchen sink, and had answered...I very much doubt they would have divulged any of your business to him.
They would have asked to speak to you.

I'd be furious. I would definitely complain.

Which would have involved saying who they are. Some people may not even want their spouse to know the GP called them.

Having a NOK listed is not the same as giving blanket consent to information sharing. Any member of NHS staff who is up to date with their data governance mandatory training should know this and act accordingly.

Obviously if you aren’t, there’s no reason why you would be aware, but assuming OP has correctly guessed the reason her DH was called, this is unacceptable.

It’s more likely an unconnected issue, or a cock up.

Mine and DH’s numbers once got mixed up by the hospital because at one point they were calling me instead of him for very good and temporary reasons, and when we “corrected” the record they got it all the wrong way round. They apologised…

I wish. We get called back once and that's it. Test results, routine appointments we have to make ourselves and chase up. I rang over 15 times over two afternoons to try and book in my smear. Our surgery is on its knees. Too many patients and not enough staff. It's so stressful if you need seen. I went one afternoon with my sick child as it was a Friday and she had a fever for over a week. I thought she was better but went downhill again. They said they had one Dr on that afternoon and there was no chance. Speak to tte pharmacist for advice. 🙈

there is all a storm in a tea cup

That's true, but in that case the husbands number should not be listed as an alternative number to call.

considering neither of them answered their phones, conclusions are being jumped to!

People change/lose their phones all the time. As a GP, if I call a patient’s number a couple of times and they don’t answer, I’ll call the other numbers listed on their records. It’s likely your husband’s number is on your records too, as an alternative contact. If I got through to your husband, I would ask to speak to you. I wouldn’t tell him why I was calling.

You might know your number hasn’t changed and that you just couldn’t answer, but the surgery don’t know that. If you want your husband’s number removed, just ask them to remove it and add a note to say they’re never to call him to speak to you. That would be a bit OTT in my opinion, but you seem terribly upset by it so maybe that’s the solution for you.

My conclusion would be the surgery has done nothing wrong.

OP hasnt clarified has she if her husband number is also on her list of contact numbers. If you dont want someone to be contacted then check what numbers they have for you

OP hasnt clarified anything and yet theres tons of people jumping to say they're furious and OP should make a complaint, theres no information to say so!!

They should not be phoning anyone other than the patient they want to speak with.

This was my experience in Wales too.
However, the smear test letters were quite relentless, coming directly from the trust and not via the surgery.

Why? OP has no idea why they called her husband.

I work in GP
Our patients receive a smearinvitation by letter and if they don’t attend then we send another invitation by text.
We do follow up by phone if the sample is very overdue, but only the number on the patient’s records. The only time we’d use another number is for a child’s parent.

If you choose not to participate in a screening programme it’s probably worth letting them know that you’re choosing to opt out. Recalls will then stop but you can choose to opt back in any time.

She said in her OP that he's listed as NOK. I presume she means 'person to contact in emergency' because I'm not sure they ask for next of kin.
If they have put him as an alternative number, that could be a genuine mistake I suppose.

Perhaps your husband has other medical problems you don’t know about OP.

That is totally out of order. I do not do smears and no one ever called me and if they did, I would remind them that I already told them that my body is my choice

Same here - can’t even email or use the app to request a phone call. Just constantly says “we have exceeded our capacity for today”
however had numerous texts and two letters reminding me about a smear appointment and also similar including several phone calls about a middle aged health MOT. I can only assume they’re paid well for getting them booked in, certainly seem keener than if you’re actually ill!

I remember having letters and them asking me to make a written statement so they update the authority. I am foreign and never heard that a random optional test is actually some random authority business. Went to the reception and said: sorry, what is all this about? I am telling you now, in person, that I don't want smear tests. She said I have to write it, I refused. That was that.

"including several phone calls about a middle aged health MOT."

At what age? Because I would have wanted that. I was early 40s when I left Wales and never had my cholesterol checked by my GP.

When my gp surgery rings it comes up private or withheld number are you sure it wasn't just a call centre ringing your husband