Do NHS doctors have access to GP medical records?

[R2221]

I have a mental health issue for which I’m considering getting referred through my GP. A few close friends are NHS doctors. A couple, who are both hospital doctors and one GP (in a different area). Can they see me records if they want to?

Probably yes, but there would be a trail that they had done so and they could lose their job. You’d hope that doctors would have more scruples than that.

Yes I believe they could look, but they would probably lose their jobs if they did. They will know this and therefore are extremely unlikely to do so. If they met you within their healthcare role, they would have to ask you if you are happy for them to treat you and if not, you can see someone else. I have worked in the NHS and I am still in healthcare. Everyone is so hot on confidentially.

Unlikely. Despite protestations about being digitally advanced etc, the majority of the NHS is not.

No way would a GP practice have access to hospital records from a different area. Generally only Trust employees can access their own systems. There are broader systems in primary care but you'd have to go actively looking for someone's record (which is against the rules without a genuine reason).

Probably yes, but they'd have needed a good reason to access them and the only good reason is relating to their role. So they cant just look for fun without being in the shit.

Don't let your worries about this stop you seeking help if you need it

In my experience the NHS systems are old and clunky and not in any way joined up. I would doubt anyone in a hospital could access your GP records. If they could and did then they would be breaking confidentiality rules and could be sacked.

OP, I doubt they'd be able to see everything though. If they work in the same trust then maybe they could some medical records that the hospital has, but maybe not GP. If they dont work in the same trust I would wouldnt worry. They shouldnt be looking anyway.

Not in the trust i work in no.
Some people who work with rehab and step down units can have access, but its very strictly only for patients staying with them.
It also depends on the GP practice giving consent to share records, which a lot dont. They also then need specific patient consent, and its fully audit trailled. If they decided to have a nosy they would be sacked basically.

not trust, same hospital you sought treatment.

It's unlikely a GP from another area would have access to your records. Some hospitals have some access to local GP records, but I would not worry about this - as others have said this is taken very seriously and patient confidentiality is very important so very unlikely your friends would even consider looking at your records, if they can even access them.

Also mental health trusts tend to be separate from other areas of medicine so unlikely to be any record overlap if you do get referred.

Please do not let worry about this stop you getting help OP.

No they cannot see your GP records. If you were treated at the hospital where your friends work they technically could see only your hospital notes but it would be against GMC guidance and they could loose their job or be disciplined if they were looking at a patient’s notes for reasons not to do with medical care.

In my area, yes but you have to input a reason for looking. I personally have access to all health records but would never look up a friends record. Totally unethical.

I'm a hospital clinician and in my area we do have access to the local CCG's GP records via a programme called e-Xchange.

But OP it would be desperately unprofessional of your friends, they would face being sacked, and IT departments do audit for out of usual working spheres computer usage so honestly, they are extremely unlikely to look both because if they are your friends I'd hope they are good doctors and because, well, if not they'd be risking their careers.

I am a health care professional with access to both community so GP notes and hospital notes. All my colleagues live in our trust so I could in theory access their notes. However it would be highly unethical, I'd get sacked, I treat others how if like to be treated. But also likely dull and I've better things to do!

They can't see them at the moment and even if they could, they wouldn't look. They are not going to risk their jobs and careers to be nosy about your medical information. Plus, they probably wouldn't be interested anyway.

@The3Ls

I am a health care professional with access to both community so GP notes and hospital notes. All my colleagues live in our trust so I could in theory access their notes. However it would be highly unethical, I'd get sacked, I treat others how if like to be treated. But also likely dull and I've better things to do!

When your job is to look at medical records I definitely don't want to be looking at friends redords. It's really dull isn't it.

I have friends who are hospital doctors and I think all of them hav far better things to do than snoop on their friends medical notes!

Where I work we can all see bloods and investigations. WWE can see some gp records if you have given consent but they cannot see our system. They only get reports we send to the gp who referred the patient in and there is a computer trail, no one would risk their job to see your records!

Recently when i spoke to my GP surgery they asked me permission to share their records with NHS, which I gave. They said if I were taken to hospital the drs will be able to access my records. Sometime after thar I had a telephone consultation with a consultant (this was not due to a referral by the GP, it was just a follow up appointment by the hospital that I gave birth in ) and the consultant was able to access my GP records. I would have thought you need to give consent for your GP practice to share your records. Even if your friends could access your records one would hope that as doctors they have better things to do than accessing other peoples records. Also, as a pp has already said there must be a trail when they access records so they could lose their job for accessing information that does not relate to work. It's the same with benefit system, the people who work in benefits have access to the dwp systems and so technically can look at other peoples info. But they do spot checks and if you are found to have accessed a record that you had no reason to access you will lose your job.

Yes, but it has to be justified, eg they have to be caring for you and have a valid need to access the record. It would be audible and they would be mad to look for curiosity sake.

EG, I was asked by a hospital doctor for permission to look at my GP record to see what medication I was on (I forgot the name of it but knew what it was for etc).

audible = audit-able!

Yes but you can opt-out. Covid code gives full access to records unless you opt-out.

Nope.

They probably could but it would be considered a serious breach of protocol and could result in suspension. Secondly doctors handle sensitive information all the time and it's not likely that they would gossip about it. No doctor is going to risk their career for a voyeristic peek at you medical record.