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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Aibu to not want the waiting room to know my name?

135 replies

Ohdearducks · 14/11/2016 10:31

New system introduced at my doctors today, each patients name is flashed up when it's your turn to be seen.
Aibu to feel uncomfortable about it? For context I am shy, socially anxious and I admit a bit paranoid at times but it just feels a bit disarming for everyone to know who you are when you've not volunteered the info yourself?
I do actually sound a bit U don't I?🙈 But maybe I'm not the only one who feels this way?

OP posts:
Roundrobin1234 · 14/11/2016 14:14

Embarrassing is when the receptionist shouts out 'Mr R, you can now go through for your vasectomy '.

The old lady next to me immediately said 'No wonder you were looking so anxious!'.

minisoksmakehardwork · 14/11/2016 14:18

Some people at ours have full names, inc middle names. Others are just mr/Mrs etc. If there's more than one of the same surname they either initial or use first name. I think some people must have asked for it to display one way or the other as they all stayed out prefix/first name/last name. I asked for ds1's to be amended as there is an elderly gentleman with the same name. Whilst unlikely, it'd be irritating if we were in at the same time. Ds1 comes up as master first name surname. I was happy for his middle name(s) to be used but they did it that way.

RhodaBorrocks · 14/11/2016 14:21

My only issue with that was when a hospital receptionist asked my name, followed by my dob, and refused to let me write it down or take it from the form I had just given her. There was a queue of strangers behind me and I think that breached the DPA.

The DPA specifies they are allowed to use your information reasonably. Generally speaking, using your name to identify you is reasonable.

The DPA also doesnt cover you when giving your own information out, it strictly relates to how an organisation records, stores and uses your data. If you don't want to give out certain details that's fine, but you should expect some places to refuse you service if they can't reliably identify you.

However, in your example the hospital receptionist was wrong. They shoukd gave allowed you to write the information down, thus is what i instruct staff to do at the hospital where i work.

The DPA would be breached if they read your details off the computer to you to get you to confirm, particularly if you are in a busy waiting area. Basically, you giving your derails freely indicates consent. When they give out your details to you they have no way of knowing it is definitely you - an imposter could say yes to every question.

My main GP surgery still uses a tannoy, but the branch surgery just calls you. At both I am on such good terms with the doctors they just use my first name.

A hospital i go to (not where I work) uses screens. They put them in the waiting room and the cafe next door so people could go and wait in there if they wanted. It was supposed to be better than shouting.

The problem is, its an eye department and many of the patients are severely vusually impaired. They couldnt see the screens, so they had to turn the sound up on them so they said the name too. But most of the patients are elderley and many are deaf too, so the poor staff are wandering about shouting too!

kali110 · 14/11/2016 14:26

My old walk in did that and my old doctors used to call the names.
Where i've moved to have this system. I have to be careful when i'm on my phone!

Elphame · 14/11/2016 14:30

I don't see the problem - my GP has used the name flashing up thing for years along with a voice prompt.

I look out for my own name and all the others just wash right over me. I couldn't tell you what the one I'd just seen and heard was even if it was only seconds ago

klassy · 14/11/2016 14:31

I lived in a very shit place for a while where the receptionist used to give you a small greasy, dirty coin with a number on it (say, "11"), and you had to find the previous number in the waiting room - so you'd have to wander round asking "are you number 10?", watch that person like a hawk, and once they'd gone in and come out you followed - no names or calling or anything.

Someone would be following you too, so the whole room was fairly quiet with lots of people staring around at each other and the doors manically. Horrible fucking system.

Name on screen in my new place is so much less anxiety-producing!

Gileswithachainsaw · 14/11/2016 14:33

Shock klassy that sounds horrific

Says alot that even the Dr's won't have their names displayed...

NavyandWhite · 14/11/2016 14:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pregnantat50 · 14/11/2016 15:01

When I read the start of the Op I thought it was going to be that your name and condition came up on the board. My surgery always has done the name thing for as long as I can remember.

Now if your name came up as: "Mrs Jane Brown with the fungal infection to room 2 please" I would be annoyed

ShelaghTurner · 14/11/2016 15:20

We've had the flashy name thing for decades. Couldn't tell you the name of the last person within two seconds of the

BEEP!
Glance up
Mutter 'FFS' under breath a bit loudly
Look at watch with a scowl
Go back to whatsapp

Our doctors is big and a bit rabbit warreny so would take forever for them to come and get you and my own GP typically is right at the far end.

I like the Argos system though, where you move up the screen. Would give you some hope to cling to.

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