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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to report this?

60 replies

avoidingcleaningagain · 06/04/2019 14:45

Posting here for traffic as I know I should report this really.

Friend is in a job in a medical setting. She herself is not medical.

Got talking last week and she mentioned something about another friend of mine (call her A) who had a baby in December. I queried how she could know this information (it was to do with how A gave birth last year) and she said that she had been doing some back logged admin work moving paper onto electronic copies and knew when A had given birth so looked her up on the list.

I'm a bit confused about this. I think from what she has said that the maternity unit must have a record on paper of everyone who gave birth that day or something and she was moving them onto the computer system and decided to look for A.

Now clearly it is not a secret that A has had a baby girl but friend knew the details of the birth (think the method of birth, c section, instrumental etc).

I was taken aback when she casually told me this and said she is not allowed to do that. She said ah it was just coincidence which completely backtracked on what she had said about looking A up.

I feel I should report this as obviously she should not be looking up people who she knows medical history and I am also concerned she may do the same to me when I give birth next month. Am I projecting? I know A has not made all of the details of her birth (was quite traumatic) public and would probably be upset to know my friend has done this. A and I have already discussed the birth but what if I hadn't already known?

Also worried it will be my word against hers as I guess she could have stumbled on the info by accident.

OP posts:

BlueMerchant · 06/04/2019 14:51

It needs reporting. It is serious.She could cause a lot of problems.Its a major breech of trust.Even if she happened to stumble upon this information she is not allowed to go relaying it to other people.
Report her.

Original poster

avoidingcleaningagain · 06/04/2019 14:52

@BlueMerchant good point I didn't even think about the fact she is also breaking confidentiality by telling me about it.

OP posts:

WeeDangerousSpike · 06/04/2019 14:58

What blue said. She's obviously going to have knowledge of people's medical conditions as an aspect of her work. As a result it is required that she keep that info confidential. Regardless of if she looked it up to be nosy (she obviously did but then backtracked when you didn't want to gossip!) or came across it legitimately, she cannot go telling people!
It's even worse that it's someone you know, it would be bad enough if she'd said 'oh I was reading some random woman's notes and she had X problem with giving birth, yadda yadda yadda' but to tell you confidential info about someone you know is truly awful!

Original poster

avoidingcleaningagain · 06/04/2019 15:02

Yes it's made me feel really crap today tbh...I don't want her to get in serious trouble or lose her job but she needs to know how bad this is! What's worse is the information would let her know that A will have long term medical issues due to the birth and I think that A has the right to keep those to herself 😔 I only hope she has repeated it to no one else.

I will ring the department on Monday and ask to speak to someone senior. Is that the best way to do it do you think? It's an nhs clinic.

OP posts:

Peterpiperpickedwrong · 06/04/2019 15:08

Also worried it will be my word against hers as I guess she could have stumbled on the info by accident.

Doesn’t matter how she knows, she should not be discussing patients medical details with anyone. REPORT ASAP. Your friend has the right to confidentiality not to have a blabber mouth, who has seen her records, tell mutual friends or acquaintances. That is shocking and there is an audit trail so if she has looked up info whilst having no need to be on that persons records it will show. Regardless, she should not be sharing any patient information.

oneforthepain · 06/04/2019 15:10

Report it.

Reallyevilmuffin · 06/04/2019 15:11

It would not be your word against hers. Most NHS IT systems know which log in has looked at what records. Ours timestamps our username against all records opened, length of time etc. Obviously impossible to monitor all use but if a specific person is flagged can drag up all their history.

Reallyevilmuffin · 06/04/2019 15:12

If she has done this it is a formal warning at least, actively sharing it with you would be a likely dismissal as this is clear in contracts and can attract trusts huge fines.

VladmirsPoutine · 06/04/2019 15:14

Yes, it needs reporting. However casual and minor it may seem it's a huge breach of confidence. With friends like these etc etc...

Jebuschristchocolatebar · 06/04/2019 15:15

Report away. I work in a large bank and deal with staff who breach internal rules and look up bank accounts. Never underestimate people’s nosiness. My organization fires people for it

Peterpiperpickedwrong · 06/04/2019 15:15

Whilst in your shoes I would definately speak to the practice/clinic manager and report the actions of this member of staff, I would consider telling A as well because it is her information, so she has a right to report and make a complaint and take it further.

pudcat · 06/04/2019 15:16

Gosh she can look anyone up to find out their medical history. That is terrible in itself but to pass on that info is unforgiveable. You must report it, next time it could be a lot worse - something no one else knows at all.

Samind · 06/04/2019 15:18

Agree with other posters saying to report it and it's a massive breech of confidentiality. I agree with you also that your friend would bit have wanted this information casually searched or shared other than by medical professionals for care purposes or herself if she chose to share it.

Good luck for next month ☺️

WeeDangerousSpike · 06/04/2019 15:31

God, every update makes it worse

Not saying you're drip feeding OP, just feeling sorry for poor A, even if she's not aware. (yet?)

DramaAlpaca · 06/04/2019 15:34

You must report this.

Original poster

avoidingcleaningagain · 06/04/2019 15:49

I haven't told A, in two minds tbh, id want to know if it was me but she is having a tough time atm (her dad just passed) so I don't think she needs this right now.

Yes I am going to report it. I knew I had to I just am a bit aghast at it all tbh.
I don't think it will be able to be tracked as from what she said she looked at paper records not on the computer? But you are all right that either way (even if she saw it accidentally) she should not have repeated it to me.

OP posts:

Lifeisabeach09 · 06/04/2019 15:59

Different opinion here but....
How good a friend is she?
She did, indeed, break confidentiality but are you able to warn her against doing this again rather than reporting to her employer? Would she learn from this?
The reason why I say this is she'll likely be sacked.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 06/04/2019 16:04

Absolutely she needs reporting. It's a very very serious breach.

wigglypiggly · 06/04/2019 16:04

This is a massive breach of confidentiality and if you dont report it and the person who had the baby finds out you are just as guilty for not reporting it. It's not your job to deal with this, she knows she broke the rules, if she loses her job then tough, health staff are in a position of trust.

Original poster

avoidingcleaningagain · 06/04/2019 16:07

She is a good friend but dh just said the same thing, that if she did lose her job she would have no one to blame but herself.

I don't want to lose a friend but at the same time A is also a good friend and innocent in all this.

Ive looked up the number on the trust website of the clinic and will ring Monday to ask to speak to someone in management about a complaint. I can't think how else to report? Unless someone who works in the nhs knows?

OP posts:

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 06/04/2019 16:09

The reason why I say it is she's likely to be sacked.

Can't offer much sympathy sorry. There are too many trust worthy people on the dole for those fortunate enough to have jobs to be pissing around.
This isn't a case of a Bank Teller accidentally leaning on a key board and losing a company millions.
This is deliberate.
She must have been spoken to about confidentially and data protection, so She can't claim ignorance.

Thatsashame · 06/04/2019 16:09

Please report it. Dhs ex did this and checked all my records. But because i had moved to a different area she couldnt see my updated info and tried to say i was lieing about being pregnant as she heard i was through the grape vine but it wasnt on the records there. She also found my address and turned up. Yes it was reported and and yes she was in serious trouble

MitziK · 06/04/2019 16:09

A 'list' also means computer records.

When I first started working for the NHS, it was normal to be able to type in any name you wanted - part of the training was 'bung in your name/postcode and you'll see that the rest of your family/everybody else at that address will come up. And now try searching on your mother's maiden name' (to show that the system could find records that way, too).

However, this changed during my time away having kids and it was made abundantly clear that every search is recorded and accessing anything other than a patient's record for the purposes of the precise job you have is a sackable offence.

The fact that I had dealt with my DP's ex wife's personal medical records (I remembered the name because of some particular things I had to do to solve an issue and then he mentioned something that made me realise it was her) was a bit of a shock, as I knew intimate medical details about her that he didn't (and that she was therefore lying to him about them). But I'm never going to tell him, much less let her know or gossip about it. You just don't do that.

Don't tell your friend, but certainly write to the hospital and tell them that she is accessing medical records and gossiping about the patients that she knows. They'll be able to pull up the logs and see not just that she was on the list of records she had been tasked with handling, but whether she accessed the woman's DP, her DP, you, your DP, kids, the neighbours or anybody who wasn't on the list. Just by telling the Trust exactly what you have been told demonstrates that she's talked about confidential medical records.

It'll probably cost you a 'friend'. But who the fuck needs a friend like that? She's just as likely been trawling through your records to find juicy titbits to share around.

sandi2019 · 06/04/2019 16:14

This is a massive deal, OP....you just cant use a system to access whatever data you want........there has to be a legal basis for finding data and reviewing it.
Your friend will be dismissed....the GDPR is still a hot topic at present....everyone is still all over it.

Original poster

avoidingcleaningagain · 06/04/2019 16:14

Oh didn't know a list could mean computer too, I just assumed it was paper as well.

Scary how many people could have access to your stuff and you'd never know! 😱

OP posts:

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