to report my friend for doing this

[NarwhalsNarwhals]

My daughter has very serious mental health issues, we have support in place and anyone that is ever responsible for her without me there or who needs to know, knows exactly what is going on and I'm working with every agency going to make this better for DD. Friends in general don't know because they don't need to/DD doesn't want them to/I don't want them to.

Friend A works for CAMHS as admin. They answered a phone call from me double checking an appointment time. I have never spoken to them about any more than that. Friend B shouted at me because Friend A told her about DD's self harm and suicide attempts and me not coping (which according to B is totally because I am a shit mother who doesn't deserve children) which not only means that A told B about the phone call but A must have gone and found out details because of that call (I don't know if that means they've checked DDs records or asked someone but either way there is no reason they should know - call was literally "hi, I've got two letters here, which one is the right date?" and then DDs name and DOB)

A is an unprofessional dickhead right? and I am allowed to be more angry than I can actually put into words?

I am struggling and maybe I don't deserve her because I don't know how to make this better and I should because I am mum and that is my job and maybe I am over reacting but that is why I'm asking MN before I contact CAMHS.

Absolutely do complain - to the Mental Health Trust and the ICO, as this is gross misconduct and she should not be allowed to continue doing this job, not to mention a serious data breach.
It’s so sad that a ‘friend’ would do this, you deserve better

I agree with sickandtiredofsick. The CAMHS service is not transparent and complaints are likely to be turned against families in a pass ag sort of way all wrapped up in NHS doublespeak.

If your dd is actually receiving a half way decent service from CAMHS I'd button it tbh. In my experience CAMHS don't give much of a fig about confidentiality in any event.

They offered dd group therapy for severe self harm with five other young people. She was 16 so on the vasis of confidentiality refused to speak with me about confidentiality but when I took it further said my concerns about confidentiality were unfounded because all the young people involved were told everything had to stay confidential. Deep and meaningful understanding there about how young people operate from oeople who are suppised to know all about young people.

If you could get B to say in a text message or WhatsApp etc that A told her, a screenshot would do.

It’s not necessarily impossible to prove it though - if A accessed the OP’s daughter’s details electronically this will be recorded. Depending on how the files are arranged basic information like appointment times and who’s care she is under should be separate from clinical details. So it might well be possible to prove A accessed the details without a good reason. As to the subsequent disclosure that might be more tricky to prove. But A will be spoken to to see what his account is before any further decisions are taken.

@Sagradafamiliar I didn't so much shame him. He did it in year 11 when he was skipping lessons an got caught then I had to take him into school an sit for half hour in each of his first lessons to ensure he was their on time an stayed in the classes and didn't leave school. He got in with the wrong crowd and used this as his excuse to take it away from what he was doing wrong In life- it was as though saying he had taken an over dose ment he wouldn't get into trouble, he's done it countless times. Iv dang ambulances searched hospitals when he's decided he didn't have to come home of a weekend an when they've come he admits he hasn't taken anything it was the fact he had everyone worries sick about him again and wasting peoples time !! He couldn't keep doing it an the fact I actually found the tablets I had to prove he didn't take an od- not to make me feel big NO or to shame him. It was to prove what he was doing again and I couldn't take it no more.

@NarwhalsNarwhals I honestly don't know why they didn't ring one as they was so concerned, probably from his previous records they knew he was telling porkies or he's told them not to- begged- as he knew what he'd caused. Iv always rang soon as he plays that card and wasted a lot of valuable time of the paramedics

In his younger years he did self harm an we got him help an we probably did spoil him for it but as he got older he played on it to divert the fact he was really out of control behaviour wise as he got in with the totally wrong crowd. Grounding him didn't help so this is what we would deal with quite regularly when he did something wrong as he didn't want to have his "Xbox and phone" taken from him

This is very very serious. Please report. For others. For your DD. For you.

This must be reported. I am sure they will take it seriously.

And yes I’d text B and say something like “I am really upset you spoke to me about this. I can hardly believe A would have told you xxxx”. I bet she will reply “well he most certainly did....” or similar.

@NarwhalsNarwhals i work In the NHS and unfortunately have known people who have accessed records of friends / family with no clinical need and didn’t lose their jobs unless it’s a repeat offence. Whether this friend loses his/her job is on them not you. Patients are entitled to privacy and he/she is failing to give them this.
Reporting will flag it up with line management who can provide training etc if it’s a first offence and take more serious measures if otherwise x

@Tartyflette
Yes but verbal is not the same as written. Without proof the complaint will likely go nowhere except a warning to 'A' to be careful to protect themselves by not doing anything unprofessional. Unless OP's DC records are electronic there is not always a way to know who has accessed them. Besides which, 'A' will have had to access the records to find out when the appointment was.
I work in the NHS and our records are still paper. If I looked up an appointment for a patient it would show I accessed the record but not what I looked up - 'A' could easily say he looked up the appointment following a phonecall - which he did

If you're sure that B couldn't be lying and have been given the info from someone else, then report. But A had a reason to access your DD's file because they checked the appointment. Morally, you'd be completely right to complain but ultimately, I'd decide which route is going to be less stressful for you and your DD. I'm so sorry this has happened

I know that many people on this thread (and elsewhere) have had poor experiences of CAMHS generally and their observance of confidentiality particularly. I acknowledge there must be a huge difference between areas. My personal experience of our local service has been hugely positive. The service - literally - saved my daughter’s life. And I observed the utmost care over privacy issues at all times. I hope OP that your service is similar.

"A" only had cause to look at the appointments part of the system, not records about the nature of the patient's difficulties.

If it was electronic records it will log who has accessed what, when. And she will have had to deliberately log into a different part of the system to that showing appointments.

I don't know why people insist on making excuses for such blatant abuse of power and breach of confidentiality.

Definitely report. Send in a written letter and also ring friends senior manager Monday am.

If A meant well why did they talk about you to B rather than offering you support? Sounds like gossiping to me. Awful.

Report her. I would - and I hope they fire her. How bloody unprofessional

Of course you should report it. As everyone has said, there should be an electronic audit trail so they can identify what files / sections of files A has accessed. Just telling B your DD is under CAMHS is enough for a disciplinary. Good luck OP.

YADNBU report them! The amount of training we get as about data protection as NHS admin means there is absolutely no excuse for such a breach. She shouldn't be allowed to work in that environment if she can't understand the rules.

l used to work for the police in an office based role. lf a piece of paper (or later, piece of information on my computer) landed on my desk where l knew the person/people involved, however tenuously, the rule was that l had to pass the detail on to someone who didn't know them.
Even if that isn't the situation in this case, your 'friend' should treat the information professionally and confidentially. l'd say you have a case to make a very strong complaint.

I'm outraged on yours and DD's behalf! Definitely report!

You can also report the breach to the ICO (Information Commissioner's Office) at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/your-personal-information-concerns/
Friend A may well also have done this with other people he knows - the system will show his patient record accesses and he can be prosecuted for it - ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/news-and-events/news-and-blogs/2017/10/nhs-workers-warned-about-consequences-of-snooping-into-patients-medical-records/
A & B are definitely no friends of yours OP.

This is a terribly serious breach of confidentiality. If she’s doing it with your DDs records, she doing it with others. I think you actually HAVE to report this. Ensure you have any evidence - text messages etc, as friend A likely to deny.
It’s also a truly horrible thing to do to a friend. Disloyal and malicious, Friend B just isn’t a friend. It’s an extraordinary reaction for her to behave like this. I can imagine just how furious you must be and how distressing.

Definitely report your friend. What they did is a severe breach of patient confidentiality.They could(and should) face disciplinary action.
I worked in the NHS and there were incidents of members of staff being fired for looking up relatives/friends notes online.
I hope CAHMS take this very seriously.

I work in a public sector service (not NHS) and under GDPR if we have an accidental data breach (something like sending a letter to the client with sensitive information) we could face a fine of £1m. There are risks associated with confidential information ending up in the wrong hands (e.g. the address of someone fleeing DV). If an officer accidentally breaches confidentiality they must make their manager aware immediately who must inform the relevant departments. Even in the case of an accidental breach, the officer could face disciplinary.

What (ex)Friend A has done is so far beyond this. They have knowingly accessed a patient's sensitive information with no justifiable reason and shared it with someone who has no right to be aware of it.

Definitely report massive breach of confidentiality

If you report which you absolutely should she will be told to deny it

If they are electronic records there will be a trail of who accessed them and when.