How Do We Clean This Up? -NHS Info Mess

[GirlsWhoWearGlasses]

So we had to take DD to A&E for something minor - she's fine - but at the front desk it emerged that the contact number and next of kin listed for DD was still her BM, years after the AO was granted.

I got them to insert our details, but I'm pretty worried that it was there in the first place. Does anyone know how to go about making sure that all NHS records have no link to BM? The record had our correct surname and address, so obviously we're concerned about what info BM may already have.

They are confidential, i cant see anyway she could get the info.

We were given new NHS numbers for our DDs when we adopted them which was meant to break the link.

Thanks, but she was listed as her next of kin, so for all we knew she was about to show up in A&E.

We want to make sure that this is changed throughout the system, not the fact that she's adopted, but we don't want to risk any info being disclosed, especially our address obviously, but BM learning DD's surname would make her much easier to trace.

Sanders - that's really interesting, our DD still has her original one.

To save you asking, I don't know for certain whether this happened automatically, or whether the SW organised it or whether we had to ask. I have a tiny feeling we were told to ask for them.

We got a new NHS number too when AO came through. We adopted almost two years ago.

We got a new NHS number too - took the AO and Adoption cert into the GP, and they set up the new number. It was a bit more complicated to connect things up with the various hospitals, but with a bit of persistence, they removed the birth name from all the old notes, scanned them, and attached digital copies to the new NHS number. A lot of work for them, but they were brilliant and said it was their standard practice.

Speak to hospital but on your shoes I would also speak to adoption services to highlight this mistake. It should be recifird by hospital but I'd want to tell social services. I know of one child whose whereabouts were accidentally revealed by NHS when child was on foster care. Luckily the birth parents did not pose a risk and all was fine.

Our childrens hospital sends out follow up letters if a child misses an apointment . And they send letter if an apointment is changed, so that has a lot of potential for problems ( birth family member turns up at appointed time to see chid) .

So I can see why you are worried .

I'd be checking GP and dentist records as well. Also school health ( if she's old enough ) , health visitor , optician .

Often all these records are not linked . So you get the distressing situation when a relatives dies in hospital A and the bereaved family get a letter addressed to the deceased months later chastising them for not attending their appointment at hospital B or community clinic C.

People assume that if one part of the NHS knows that someone has died, they all do . But it doesn't work like that.

Thanks everyone. I'll make a list of all the different medical bits and will also flag it with SW. It may be that we need to sort out a new NHS number.

Even though it was convenient for us, I was a bit taken aback by the way the hospital went ahead and entered a new next of kin just like that, but that is not our immediate problem.

I'll start by saying I wandered onto the adoption board but have no personal experience of adoption but I may be able to help steer you in the right direction re NHS records and what should have happened.

Under HSCIC.Gov guidelines...

"When the patient is adopted.

In some cases, upon completion of the adoption process the
patient’s previous record and NHS Number on the PDS (personal demographic service) is invalidated and new ones created.
• The adoption process may also result in the patient’s demographic details changing (e.g.their names and addresses.) "

So that should have happened for you. Under the guidelines for GP practices it says

"Please note that in Adoption cases, a new NHS Number should always be allocated.
This will be undertaken by the National Back Office on receipt of the Court Order from the General Register Office."

The GRO notifies the PDS to create a new NHS number and local adoption agency involved should ensure that the GP is given a summary of the history which would appear on the original record.

I don't know if this helps you at all but hopefully it may also help anyone who adopts and what should happen with their NHS number.

Maybe you can find out if the GRO notified the PDS and why your local adoption agency didn't check it all out for you.

That is very helpful. Thanks.

I spoke to our SW today and she says it's not something our LA has ever done. She thought NHS numbers were for life. I mentioned that it seems to be done elsewhere and she's off to speak to their policy person about it.

Girls we had a similar situation

we routinely travel to a big childrens hospital some hours away - we were checking out at one point and needed to tell them our phone number had changed, they said any other details and we said no.....the receptionist said we'll just check the details...

got to emergency contact and gave BM fathers name and phone number - aarghhh!! this was 2 years after we had them!

we soon put it right but the 'what ifs' were scary!

We made appointment with GP and Medical secretary after re Registering.
Medical Secretary searched health files as too as many
Other GP's and Hospitals child had attended as well, enquiring at all Hospitals and GP's in the area, Results were helpfull and added too medical history, child had attended many hospitals and GP's. Most unknown.

We spoke to our PCT direct and they were very helpful and had it all in hand with our gp service (who had zero idea what they were doing and kept insisting we needed to go in) - it should happen automatically.

AFAIK this isn't on the sws list of stuff because it's post AO.