School Mum starting at GP

[KnowlWay]

Is there any way to ensure she can’t access my medical records? She’s very mouthy. We get on okay but I don’t want her knowing anything about my health. I don’t think I’m being unreasonable. My husband does and thinks she won’t get a chance to be nosey.

OP, I get where you're coming from. Unfortunately she will be able to access your records as part of her job, but as other posters have said there will be huge trouble if she does it out of sheer nosiness (but assuming she'll be as busy as most receptionists, when would she have the chance?) or if she gets mouthy.

However, it would make me feel horribly uncomfortable too if certain acquaintances were able to see private medical details, even if it was as part of their job and even if they did keep quiet.

A pp said about noone being fussed if an patient/acquaintance's records showed low iron...but what about eg details of a tricky pregnancy that's not yet widely known, tests for STDs prior to IVF, or details of mental health conditions?

OP, you have two choices only as far as I can see - either move to a different surgery, which may be easier said than done or something you just don't want to do, or else accept that she may find out stuff you'd rather she didn't and make you peace with/try to pretend to yourself that she can't.

I think if you log into an account it leaves a record so she could get in trouble if she does this...

She has access, but is only allowed to use that access in the course of her work, and is required to keep confidentiality. Everything she accessed is logged too. Of course that doesn’t necessarily stop someone doing it, but have you got a reason to think she would do so, risking her job, reputation etc? Or just because she’s ‘mouthy’?

Confidentiality is important, and if she reveals any private information, then that’s a disciplinary action (sackable?). She can only look in the course of her business.

However, you can ask the Practice Manager to block her from your account so she has no access.

@Aprilx

She works at the GPS of course she will be able to access your records. She would get the sack if she got “mouthy” about anything she sees, is she really that stupid? I think YABU.

Yes indeed. She will be able to access your medical records at any time. However she will be taught to be confidential - she may be 'mouthy', as you put it, in her 'ordinary' life but not in her work. It's very important that only people who can keep things private are employed in such roles. It would be more than her job is worth to break the rules.

Op, you obviously don't like her.

Would she be that interested in you specifically?

Anyway, if you think she can't be trusted, then move surgeries.

Yanbu. Medical files are so highly confidential. I wouldn’t want any acquaintance/ friend having free access to mine. Assuming each receptionist has a unique log in, I imagine there would be a way for her access to be blocked if you requested it.

She can view your records but she would need a valid reason to view them. She certainly couldnt go gossiping about your records without getting in shit for it.

You can also request a list of staff who have viewed your records.

Not sure if this is true of every surgery but the records software where my partner works keeps an audit log of absolutely every access. Someone was caught accessing records of her neighbours and fired a couple of years ago.

If you have the slightest actual suspicion that she know something she shouldn't, request those audit logs through a FOI act request and explain why. Even if they find a way to deny the request to share them with you they will have to explain why and she'll probably find out about it and shit herself.

You could change GP. That's it.

If she is working in the surgery, whether in admin or clinical role, she is bound by confidentiality rules. If she breaks them, the consequences for her (and the practice) are severe. It does happen, of course, as there idiots in any walk of life- but it’s not that common.

I’m not sure how you could stop her accessing your records- it would be an administrative nightmare for the surgery to ensure it never happened. And in an emergency, for instance, it may be a bad idea. I doubt they could agree to guarantee she never handle information about you. If she works on reception, for instance, and she answers the phone and it’s you- are you going to demand to put through to someone else? You could hang up and call later- but if a pain for you (and you may just get her again). If she deals with admin, she may be dealing with the electronic or paper letters or results from the hospital- putting them into the correct record- she won’t know it’s yours until she opens the envelope in the case of hard copies, in the case of electronic- what does she do if that is her task? Disturb someone else to come and do yours specifically? Put it to the back of the list for someone else to do another day? Similarly if she is the secretary who types the referral letters- what if no-one else does this role? Or it might mean your referral letters are delayed if it has to be put back on the list for someone else to do. If she is a nurse or gp, it may be easier in that you can ask not to see her. But gp’s do have to deal with results from others in the practice sometimes- e.g. if the gp who ordered a test is on holiday or not in.

If you are adamant she must not see your record then I think you will have to register at another surgery.

Honestly i would change GP surgeries.

They aren't supposed to but the reality is people do break rules because they aren't bright/aren't professional/get bored etc...

I'd be tempted to move to another surgery in this situation if you don't want her to know anything of your medical history or health at all. The fact that she is mouthy is probably a separate issue as she will know not to gossip about what she sees, but it's the fact she will be on reception when you ring up, when you go for appointments, when you tell them why you want to see a doctor, get results etc. She will know more about you than you are comfortable with and I totally get that.

Whilst there is a way of tracking of who views your medical records and each job role allows a different type of access no sirens shout "alert! Accessing X record!" With big red flashing lights. Unless you/someone reports a suspected breach, it's not going to be looked into.
Under the covid code, your record is now shared with third parties without needing consent.
You can have your record locked and password access. There are celebrities and public figures who use this. You contact your GP manager, explain the circumstances and they can lock your record so that only a password can get you past your name and dob.

@KnowlWay I went through similar - different situation but long story short is.

Any NHS staff who access your records there is a log of it.

Reception staff could not access all of my medical records without a proper reason too, they do see a snapshot of upcoming appointments though.

Mine were accessed, printed, and fuck knows if the person still has copy, but they were accessed as I needed some information from them, this person offered to print them. They could see two copies were printed but I only received one.

Shit storm in a tea cup happened and I raised a complaint.

The person involved lost their job and is now barred from working within health and care services.

Surely if you change GP she will still have access through her PIN for NHS records anyway, if she was that interested. I can see anyone’s records if I chose, as I work in the NHS, but I understand the consequences of doing so and wouldn’t dream of it unless it was necessary. I would be dismissed if found out. Career over.

Under the covid code, your record is now shared with third parties without needing consent.

Not sure where you are, but this is not true where I am - I was asked to consent, and I didn't. My records aren't shared with anyone outside of my GP, even in covid times (I know this as the hospital have tried to access them and failed!)

I wouldn't worry. I've been in a similar position to your school mum in that I was professionally aware of very sensitive information about local people's mental health and personal lives. I've never gossiped or mentioned it to anyone because it's immoral, quite apart from it being unprofessional and illegal and would have cost me my job. Same when I was the manager of a local building society. I knew a lot about the finances of many neighbours but it all stayed in the office.

I don't know about other people who have been in a similar position but I became very good at compartmentalising what I knew professionally and shutting it away from what I knew personally. So I could chat quite happily to an acquaintance and actually not think of what I knew professionally about their family member.

@An0n0n0n

You could change GP. That's it.

No, that's not 'it' Contact the Practice Manager and request them to block her from your file You shouldn't have to change GPs because you are worried about confidentiality

@Standrewsschool

Confidentiality is important, and if she reveals any private information, then that’s a disciplinary action (sackable?). She can only look in the course of her business.

However, you can ask the Practice Manager to block her from your account so she has no access.

No she can’t ask that.....well she can ask....but she will be told no...all the admin staff have access to all the records on a needs to know basis

Everyone always asks me why I don't work my local village surgery (Practice Nurse) and instead work 30 mins away.
This is why. I wouldn't snoop, but I don't think school mums and neighbours would be entirely comfortable seeing someone they know when they come for their smears or whatever. Though one of them does work in a our pharmacy.
I just felt it was best to keep a healthy distance.

OP it's very unlikely she would snoop intentionally, but if she happens to be working on your file for some reason or deals with a query related to your care, then she will see.

Some of my colleagues and their relatives are registered at the surgery I work at and the admin staff cannot access their relatives records, so there can be some restrictions. Colleagues and relatives show as restricted to me but I can access, I just have to record why I'm accessing.

If you have good reason and evidence that the person could be poor at maintaining confidentiality about you or anyone else, then talk with the practice manager. Though I think you must have some concrete examples, otherwise you are in effect defaming their character.

My former best friend got a job at our local GP surgery. I was absolutely furious, she'd caused me a huge amount of problems when I ended our friendship. I rang the practice manager and was very open about the situation, and said that under no circumstances did I ever want to see her, be treated by her or have her access my medical records. And I didn't want to keep explaining this every time I booked an appointment.

They were fine about it, and thankfully I had only one occasion where I went to check in and her name came up. I went straight to reception and rebooked! I was very relieved when she left, mind you.

I would move to another surgery.

I know three people who have worked at GP surgeries and all three have looked up things they shouldn't have and got away with it.

@ViciousJackdaw

She may well have a gob on her but ask yourself this - why would she be the slightest bit interested in your medical records? What is she going to do, stand there at the school gates going 'Ooh, that KnowIWay, well don't breathe a word to anybody but she's low in iron! I know, shocking, isn't it!'?

Do you not understand curiosity or feeling empowered by knowing something about someone that you shouldn't?

I think you're being incredibly naive if you don't get that some people would really like to know secrets about others. And you have no clue what medical issues the OP has