To ask why they called my drs?

[MarchEliza]

Had a week off sick last month and was signed off with a dr's note (first time I've been sick for ages).

Found out this morning that someone from work called my GP to ask about my (legitimate) sick note.

No one has raised any questions or concerns with me and I have since returned to work.

I thought they weren't able to do this without my permission. Does anyone know if that's correct?

WIBU to feel this is rather intrusive and ask why they felt the need to do this?

Sicknotes issued at a GP surgery are printed by a computer

Mine wasn't. It was a pre-printed note pad which was filled in by hand.

It sounds 'off' that they did it in front of your colleagues. It should have been sorted in private.

Have their been problems with your other colleagues & sickness? The fact they did it in public sounds like they wanted to be heard. Like 'look, we check sick notes now'. Might not be personal, IYSWIM.

The surgery should not even be confirming or denying that you are registered as a patient there op, let alone discussing the contents of it.
I don't know whether you completed any emergency forms for your employer that named the surgery you're registered at, but even if that is the case, there are separate procedures to follow each time the surgery can release any medical information, including you signing consent forms.

I'd talk to the surgery to find out a) if they did actually receive a call from work and b) if so, what was said.

Then I'd talk to HR at work.

Thymeout because of patient confidentiality. The employer has literally no right to question a sick note with the GP.

The correct course of action would be to speak to the employee in private and ask for permission to contact their HCP. If the employee has nothing to hide, then they will give the permission and save a whole load of bitching and hassle.

I regularly receive hand written notes at work still

Ones issued at hospitals will be hand-written. GP issued ones should be done on the computer so DWP can receive a copy, but presumably GPs can issue hand-written ones if they want

Why don't you ask them why they phoned? As if your absence was an issue.

The only people who would be authorized to make such enquiries are usually HR or your employer. Have you queried this with your GP? I doubt they would disclose any information due to data protection

Please note many contracts now have as standard that your employer is allowed to contact your GP. Every company has a different protocol on how they would do go about doing it (i.e. going directly to your GP (as in this case, or discussing it with you first). Sometimes the contracts ask you to sign that you are happy for them to go direct to your GP. So they have your permission in advance.

They may have obtained 'permission', by whatever means, but the GP isn't to know that.

Someone is mischief-making. As others have said, the GP is not able to even confirm that you are on their patient list, let alone discuss the content of a sick note. There wasn't a conversation along those lines between your doctor and anyone from your workplace. You might want to think about why someone would pretend that there was.

Wombling

How does phoning the GP to confirm that they did actually issue a sick note for an employee on such and such a date breach patient confidentiality? They are not asking for details of the medical condition or whether the sick note was justified. They just need to know that the note was actually issued and not something knocked up on a computer by a tech-savvy patient. It's easy to forge practically any document these days.

Since the sick note is an official document which will be used to justify paying the employee for their absence, employers do have the right to know if it is genuine.

In the case of long term sickness, we're talking significant amounts of money. And the starting date for the first sick note could be important in the future. As Buck says, it's standard in many contracts.

Data protection doesn't mean that those with a legitimate need to know can't have their questions answered.

The only thing they could ask is do the surgery give out typed/handwritten certs and are the certs signed always by the Doctor.

How does phoning the GP to confirm that they did actually issue a sick note for an employee on such and such a date breach patient confidentiality?

The problem is primarily not knowing whether the caller is genuinely from the patient's company to whom the sick note was addressed - so the risk of divulging confidential information (including that OP is registered there) is high.

Even once that had been sorted (perhaps by a request to return the call once patient had confirmed the contact details) then the GP surgery should only repeat what was in the letter and nothing more.

I would definately have an issue that this was done in front of colleagues, no way is that good management and must breach confidentiality.
As many pp have said, your GP surgery should never give out any information over the phone, the caller could be absolutely anybody claiming to be your employer.
You need to ask whoever told you this happened what the conversation was, ie did the GP give details and then decide what to do. If they did you have legitimate complaint against both the employer, for doing this infront of colleagues so no privacy, and with your GP surgery.

So they have your permission in advance.

But that permission wouldn't be valid, as how can you give permission for your GP to discuss something that you do not know the contents of in advance?

I'd send an email to your manager and copy HR in.
'I've had been made aware that you contacted my GP earlier today. I would like to discuss why you felt this was necessary.
Thanks.

I would call your GP first to check whether they received such a call. In the unlikely event that they did, and any discussion beyond "can't talk to you" took place, then your issue is with the practice. Assuming the call didn't take place, you're going to look like a tit if you go to your manager and HR, which might well be the intention of the person who told you about the call...

I had an operation that was sensitive in nature. My immediate manager knew what it was for but I didn't want it broadcasting round the office.

The hospital simply put 'surgery' as the reason for the sick note. I'd be extremely pissed off if someone who didn't need to know what I had done was ringing my DR for more info.

I'd def find out what they asked and what they were told.