To think it's ridiculous how little patient confidentiality there is?

[FlibFlabFlob]

I'm currently in Hospital and have been moved to a bay with two other patients. One next to me and the other fairly far away opposite.

Doctors and nurses pop in frequently for drugs rounds and to discuss treatments etc. It's absolutely impossible not to overhear although I try to be polite and not listen. Consequently within 24hrs I knew the other two patient's full names, dates of birth, exact diagnosis, allergies, procedures they had or are due to have, who they lived with, what type of property they lived in and if owned or rented (being asked for social care / mobility reasons), which family and friends visited and for one patient how much money she had in savings and which benefits she received and which town she lived in.

I just don't think it's right that so much personal information should be available to other patients. Clearly this is a tricky problem to solve without everyone having a private room or being taken out of bed to a consulting room, but I still find it ridiculous. mostly just having a bit of a rant

Like you say - what's the alternative? I get it's not a nice situation to be in, but I'm not sure what else we expect overstretched medical staff to do with the resources. The only real fix would be private rooms, which unless we want to pay private prices, isn't going to happen.

I agree. I work in the NHS and my colleague went ballistic at me when she realised I was asking security questions on the phone and not giving information to randoms. She was giving out personal information to anyone who called without even checking who they were yet said I was wrong and being stuck up! (Annoyed, me?) I reported her to the sister and she was given a telling off but I know she still does it. It’s rife in the NHS.