Nhs Breach of security

[Sparklebum]

Hi All, don't often post but read regularly and now I'm in need of some advice.

Our daughter was placed with us last year and AO granted this year. Throughout the process we have always had anonymity and have never met BPs.

Fast forward to this weekend where we had to phone nhs ooh as she was poorly. Gave all my details and got the advice I needed. Next day my GP surgery give me a courtesy call, however nhs records still held bps info and they called bm first and disclosed daughter's full new name and gp surgery details.

Any advice on how to make sure their details are removed from everything and also ensure this doesn't happen to anyone else.

I'm gutted that my name and daughter's new name was disclosed.

Oh that's bad. Really bad. I'm all for the NHS but you should make an official complaint.

You need to ask that her Summary Care Record is updated and I would also ask that the data sheet on the inside of her physical hospital notes is altered, and an alert placed on the front of her file to say that information should only be given to the Next of Kin due to security.

You also need to talk to the GP Practice manager and make sure that all of her records have the same details on them.

This is what the NHS say about adoption:
"Currently individuals who go through the adoption process
will have their new details including a new NHS Number
added onto Personal Demographics Service (PDS).

Department for Education Ministers have reconfirmed their
agreement to retain the original NHS number of adopted
children, and use the Personal Demographics Service (PDS)
„Sensitive' ('S?) flag to shield the location of children placed for
adoption (where the Local Authority (LA) believes this is
necessary to protect the child). The assumption from NHS
Connecting for Health is that there will be a relatively small
number of cases where the S-flag is appropriate. The new
process will help to ensure continuity of health records for an
adopted child.

It has yet to be fully agreed how the new arrangement will
work in practice, and the date the new arrangement will be
implemented is therefore not yet known. Planning has begun
under the leadership of DfE officials and with the involvement
of representatives of the various stakeholders.

Post implementation, there will no longer be a requirement for
the PDS National Back Office (NBO) to invalidate original
PDS records and create new PDS records for all adopted
children. Instead, the adopted child's new name will be
recorded as a change of name on the child's original PDS
record, and when the child registers with a new General
Practitioner (GP), the child's medical history will be
transferred accordingly. There will be additional steps built
into the process to shield the child's location, where it is
considered necessary by the LA.

The PDS NBO has proposed immediate changes to the way
that in-family cases are handled, where the name has already
been changed on health records prior to adoption. We are
awaiting confirmation from DfE that this is acceptable,
pending final agreement on implementation of the process as
a whole.

NHS number FAQ

So it could be possible to get a 'S' flag if you think the LA will deem it necessary. Your DD has simply had a 'name change' recorded.

What?! OMG I would be fuming (as I am sure you are)! When our AO went through, DD's new name etc was updated at the GP's (and her NHS number changed etc) without us needing to notify them. I cannot understand why this was overlooked in your case. I think I would contact SS and ask for an urgent appointment, as well making a complaint with your GP (are they not being assessed via OFSTED now?). Outrageous!

Thanks all. Good to have reassurance that I'm not over reacting (although I already know I'm not).

I'll get on to it first thing tomorrow. I am fuming as everything was kept anon as the family are very local.

I think the complaint needs to go to the ICO as well.

ico.org.uk/concerns

The Information Commissioner's Office should be able to advise or even investigate the complaint.