Reading your own notes in Hospital

[QueenSconetta]

I was in for a day op on Thursday, and a couple of the other patients were told off for reading their notes by the nurse. She said they could request a copy of them but they were not allowed to read the ones which were there.

AIBU to think this is a bit bizarre? It is more likely IABUninformed. Anyone know why your not allowed to read your own notes?

I wonder if part of the problem though is the possibility that people might remove parts of their notes.

Treating us like CHILDREN again!

Nanny knows best dear.......

The reason why patients are discouraged about reading their notes on their own is for two main reasons:

1. There may be information about someone else in your notes that should be removed before the patient sees them.

ok so the MAIN BODY of the notes and the point of the notes is for mrs X but SHE HERSLEF isnt allowed to read or is " discouraged" because....there may be a sentance about some random person, who must be protected"!!!!

KAFKA

My Dad was in hospital some time ago & I read his notes-it was just the basic charts of day to day blood tests/urine output/tablets given etc.

There was nothing about what he had been admitted for, any tests done, treatment plan etc.
They were kept separately iirc.

I work in a hospital and you do have to apply through the correct channels for your notes. The request then gets sent with the notes to every consultant you have seen and they then say sign off to say that no harm will be done if you to see the notes. Sometimes they say no to certain pages etc as they feel it in inappropriate or will cause emotional harm.

This is what we are told anyway...

Who else would there be information about?

I have never made anybody 'apply' for their notes.

I have painstakingly gone through them to ensure there was nothing offensive or anything that needed explanation.

Then I have many, many times left patient's medical notes on the side and said "I'm going to leave the room for 15 minutes now" and smile knowingly and close the door.

I believe people have a right to information about them.

I play fast and loose with my career

I don't think not wanting to risk people removing part of their notes is treating them like children - medical personnel have a duty to record treatment etc and if details that should be there aren't that can have serious implications for them in the event of a problem.Presumably it could also affect the patients future treatment.
But if they don't want patients reading notes and possibly removing bits they shouldn't really leave them lying around...

Sorry, cross post with Beside

Yes, I know-that´s why I wonder what the problem is about patients looking at those.

Forgot to put-as I thought that that was all that was ever left around that a patient might read.

To the extent that the Data Protection Act applies (ie the information is personal information within the meaning of the Act), the Freedom of Information Act doesn't apply. Where it isn't personal information, FOI does allow you to remove bits that are exempt but give out the rest. It's generally seen as better than withholding the whole document. If you are dissatisfied you can always complain to the Information Commissioner, who may well rule that they have to give you more if not all of it. It's worth a try, but may take some time.

The fee for providing copies of notes is supposed to cover the expense of providing the copies, so is not a reason to withhold a peek at the original.

I used to do this stuff for a living, can you tell?

I always read mine and the kids' notes.

I've never been told off and plenty of nurses and doctors have seen me.

Annie - the fee is ridiculous. 30 for a disc with my notes on!

I have heard it can also be as high as £50 seems a prohibitive measure to me.

Flipping good job I did read 'my' notes when the dr left the room - they weren't actually mine, but someone else's with the same name.

Lazy inept staff tend to be the ones who really object (of which there are some not many), the great ones aren't bothered by transparency and encourage it

TOTALLY agree i dont see NHS ever getting better without shedding all these attitudes.

I also think patients should be given questonaires on staff to help weed out the badies, for instance if x amount of patients give one lady the same bad rating on the same issue - warn her after several months - if still doing it - dock pay - if still doing it - sack. simples.

These were definitely the full notes, not just observations. They were popped in beside when you went to theatre.

Where were they before theatre?

If they´re not supposed to be read b ythe patient-why are they left with the patient?

I can see it from both sides. I always ready own notes, even of reprimanded (I can read fast and upside down)

However in some instances it is not appropriate for a patient to see their notes in full, and it would be difficult for a nurse to know who that applied to. For instance I was reading the notes of a patient who had a diagnosed mental health problem and several other problems.

In her notes were two letters from her daughter, one explaining about changes in her mothers condition following a medication change. The second was a letter of complaint as although the first letter was marked as confidential it had been read by the patient at another medical appointment as it was included in her medical notes. This apparently caused huge problems for the daughter.