To find it creepy that Serco, a big private sector organisation, has been given information about the status of my lady parts by my GP?

[BoffinMum]

So I open a letter inviting me for a cervical screening test, to find it has been sent to me by the large private sector organisation Serco in conjunction with the NHS (both logos at the top).

Which is creepy as I haven't given permission for Serco to have access to my medical records, date of birth, cervical screening status or in fact anything at all. In fact a couple of years ago I filled in a form opting out of any online information sharing whatsoever. Yet it seems they know an awful lot about my girl bottom status.

Being me, I immediately complained to the Department of Health and got the following response:

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Our ref: xxxx

Dear Dr BoffinMum

Thank you for your correspondence of 23 September about your medical details. I have been asked to reply.

The Department of Health provides strategic leadership for the NHS in England. Patient records are the responsibility of individual NHS organisations, which are legally responsible for complying with data protection laws and should ensure that patient records are not put at risk. The Department of Health expects the NHS to comply fully with data protection laws, just like any other public body.

You should therefore raise your concerns directly with the practice manager at your GP surgery.

I am sorry that I cannot be more directly helpful.

Yours sincerely,

Ted Colegate
Ministerial Correspondence and Public Enquiries
Department of Health

-------------------

Please do not reply to this email. To contact the Department of Health, please visit the 'Contact DH' section on the GOV.UK website.

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AIBU unreasonable to think that a letter with 'NHS' and 'Serco' plastered over the top should in fact be the responsibility of the DoH? And that it is well creepy to have your cervical screening status handed on to a private sector organisation without your knowledge or consent?

I am sure if Ted 'ring of freshness' Colgate had a cervix he would find this creepy too.

This family most likely pays more into the NHS that it gets back, but that is completely immaterial. This is supposed to be a universal system, for all, paid for as a collective. Both risks and benefits are supposed to be amortised.

The whole thing is creepy because I have no idea who is doing what and where and when, and I have not idea what recourse I have if it all goes tits up at some stage. I do feel a bit tinfoil hat actually, now you mention it.

Tesco will be texting me offering to scan my breasts at the checkout next.

Sorrel I think the point is not that records are digitised but that a private company who the OP has not given permission for her data to be shared with now has access to her data.

And if you think they won't end up trying to use it for marketing...? You'll have missed all the Bounty threads!

OP no they don't do operations but they do provide catering facilities at my local hosp, and do not seem to understand the concept of nil by mouth. Honest to God, I had to explain NBM to the Serco woman last time I was in. She just couldn't understand why I wasn't eating lunch.....

Everyone is very confused as to what Serco do.
The answer is EVERYTHING.
Up and down the country.
You think David Cameron is the PM? It's actually the CEO of Serco.
OP YANBU.

oh and "NHS" is no longer an organisation, as far as I know. It has been reduced to a brand.
(OK I exaggerate slightly for the purpose of making my, slightly inebriated, point)

I don't think you're exaggerating much. A brand is the best way to think of it.

Not very exaggerated, SPB, that is indeed the stated aim of the Health & Social Care Act.

I like your style SPB

Great soundbite.

Sorrel I think the point is not that records are digitised but that a private company who the OP has not given permission for her data to be shared with now has access to her data.

Yep, I get that. I was just pointing out to another poster that many people already have access to electronic records and most of the staff doing this work for Serco will probably have been transferred over from the NHS organisation that was previously providing the service.

It's happening everywhere. For example, Virgin Care Ltd now run the Integrated Children's Services in Devon (this includes Education, Social Care and Health).

Not saying I agree, it's just that it's really too late to stop now.

Well you can't vote these companies out, and if they are incompetent presumably we have to keep paying up on the contracts.

The Virgin thing is interesting - first music, then flights, then telly and broadband, and now children's health Great scope for flogging products there. For example if they know your child is dying they could give him or her money off a round the world dream trip, for example (with a full fare paying adult, that is).

BoffinMum Fri 27-Sep-13 20:43:46
Tesco will be texting me offering to scan my breasts at the checkout next.

At our local Tesco, there's often a mobile unit offering mammograms as part of the NHS screening programme. It's how mum's breast cancer was picked up......

I predicted "Tesco Health" about a year ago :o

Sorry, just seen the serious part of your message, Fry, and I'm really pleased to read that it worked for her.
For some reason though I have an image of the scan being done as you bend over your trolley at the checkout to lift stuff out. Multitasking...

WILL NO ONE THINK OF THE FANJOS- made me snort out loud.

Imagine Tesco value healthcare.

I can see your point Boffin mum- you should have been informed before info past.

Also don't doctors GP and hospital both moonlight between private and NHS work?

So lines become blurred.

Our local trust well greedy, incompetent idiots spring to mind.

I used to get smears at local family planning liked that option or practice nurse at GPS. Hopefully serco dont have monopoly and you have another option.

Well I was one of the people who specifically opted out of information sharing a couple of years back, actually. So I am amazed Serco was given all this information about me.

[SPB that's exactly what I was implying. At Waitrose we could presumably self scan our own bosoms via the QuickCheck facility].

Do we know what Serco actually is?
How old the company is? When it started? Where its tentacles reach??
How many other creepy companies like Serco are out there?
Will anyone else be writing to me about my lady parts?
My fanjo is really quite disturbed by the thought of the CEO of Serco displaying a professional interest in its screening status.

YANBU. I hate Serco. This is the firm that has treated asylum-seekers in detention centres and other prisoners so appallingly badly. Look at the 'controversies' section in their Wikipedia entry, for example.

If you need an example of how privatisation has gone wrong in a whole range of different areas in the public sector, look at Serco.

The first time I heard of Serco was in 2002 or 2003 when I was doing some research fieldwork in Bradford, and they said Serco had taken over the council or LEA or something. I thought they said 'circus' then realised this was large scale outsourcing. Then I asked myself how on earth an external provider would have a single clue how to run things, plus also how on earth they could turn a profit without compromising standards right, left and centre. I think we know the answer to both those questions now.

I am tempted to write a sarcastic letter to the CEO of Serco giving him chapter and verse on the current state of my lady parts and their screening status, thanking him profusely for Serco's interest in the matter.

Shall I send him a picture?

For a few examples of their track record in working with the NHS, see
here
and here

Ugh, 2015 can't come fast enough.

I'm surprised we haven't heard more about the Health and Social Care Act in the media though.

Boffinmum, please do that!

Now that really is worrying, those links. SERIOUSLY CREEPY CAPITALISTS ALERT!

Marfisa, let's all send him pictures, if he is suddenly so interested in our bottoms.

A cervix flashmob, if you will.
I feel a MN campaign coming on.