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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

School Mum starting at GP

280 replies

KnowlWay · 20/03/2021 11:03

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 posts:
Flatoutonsofa · 21/03/2021 18:00

@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.
Some people are stupid, though.
Bebethany · 21/03/2021 18:01

Fourteenthdoctor, legally she cannot access patient records but often employees do?

I have witnessed several colleagues accessing EPR at work, I have escalated the issue but no one has ever been disciplined.

angela99999 · 21/03/2021 18:05

You can't seriously suggest that somebody should not accept a job at a health practice because she might know some of the patients!

Coffeeandbikes · 21/03/2021 18:08

I am a nurse manager at a GP surgery.
You can write to the practice and say that you are concerned that someone you know is now working at the practice. You can request that an alert is set on your records if someone access them ( this will alert the operations manager) and that person will then have to have a valid reson for opening them.
We have neighbouring GPs/ Nurses as patients in our practice and this is how we support their confidentiality

Verrucapepper · 21/03/2021 18:10

I have this at our local surgery, and one of the receptionist staff said something to me at the school gate. I was not happy and have since asked that their access is restricted. Everyone else can access anything, but they should only do so if they have a genuine need to. It’s a load of rubbish because they do as and when they want to, and would only get caught out if someone made a complaint.

Arnold106 · 21/03/2021 18:13

Oh gosh she can see medical notes my friend found out about her ex’s medical records as her friend worked at the local hospital in reception

mintcucumber · 21/03/2021 18:13

GP receptionists can see everything.
If she’s the type she will probably have a nosey at records, even if she doesn’t pass on any information.
If that worries you I’d change GP.

WiseOwlOne · 21/03/2021 18:13

Even if they dont repeat on information, they might still know. Just them having a sneaky peek is what would bother me.

Shirls22 · 21/03/2021 18:14

She will have to sign a confidentiality agreement on starting as anyone has to who works in healthcare services, she may well have access to medical records but if she breaks that confidentiality agreement and acts in an unprofessional manner she will not be able to keep her job, unlikely that anyone would breach that tbh

Sarahrellyboo1987 · 21/03/2021 18:15

Wow, you are being unreasonable!! And so judgmental

There are so many laws to protect you and your data. You’re making so many assumptions based on playground conversations. Who someone is in the playground and who they are at work is likely 2 different people.

bpirockin · 21/03/2021 18:18

Many years ago my sister had a situation where a member of staff shared some personal information from her medical records with someone who mentioned it to her. My sister was terribly upset about it, and I was furious on her behalf. I wrote a strongly worded letter of complaint. The woman concerned was severely reprimanded and has never spoken to me since. I do not consider it a loss.

FlyingBurrito · 21/03/2021 18:24

@Sansaplans

The answer, as has been said is yes and no really. Yes technically she can access them, but no, she can't just access whoever's records she wants for no reason without consequence.
What is the mechanism for a consequnce @Sansaplans ?

I think I'm fairly safe to say that there can't possibly be time for routine monitoring of every single access of every single record, is it random audit and then relying on someone's memory about why they accessed a particular record at a particular time or would it only be looked at in the exceptional instance of a complaint?

I'm wondering how high the chance of anyone actually finding out someone has broken the rules is? Would it be fair to say it's very low?

wooo69 · 21/03/2021 18:24

My daughters next door neighbour is a practice nurse at our surgery. I went in for an ECG and asked me if I wanted someone else to do it. I wasn’t bothered but I imagine there are people that may not be comfortable with this. I suppose it is the same for all staff, if they weren’t comfortable accessing someone’s records due to their relationship with that person they would have to advise their manager that they didn’t want to do that particular piece of work and the reasons why.

FlyingBurrito · 21/03/2021 18:29

@Sarahrellyboo1987

Wow, you are being unreasonable!! And so judgmental

There are so many laws to protect you and your data. You’re making so many assumptions based on playground conversations. Who someone is in the playground and who they are at work is likely 2 different people.

There are laws to punish those who are found out to have obtained and or used data they weren't entitled to but what is there to protect the data @Sarahrellyboo1987?

You can tell people not to look but how do you put that genie back in the bottle if they simply ignore the rules?

Flatoutonsofa · 21/03/2021 18:30

@Sarahrellyboo1987

Wow, you are being unreasonable!! And so judgmental

There are so many laws to protect you and your data. You’re making so many assumptions based on playground conversations. Who someone is in the playground and who they are at work is likely 2 different people.

Not unreasonable and not judgemental. Very naive to think that people always behave professionally. From personal experience I know that they don't.
eeyore228 · 21/03/2021 18:30

Records can only be accessed because they need to, not because she fancies a quick look. Most NHS staff have logins etc that can be traced so they know who it is.

FlyingBurrito · 21/03/2021 18:37

@eeyore228

Records can only be accessed because they need to, not because she fancies a quick look. Most NHS staff have logins etc that can be traced so they know who it is.
Maybe you can tell me @eeyore228 what the trigger is to look at whether someone has accessed a particular record?

There are numerous posts that keep repeating that staff only access records when they need to but unless I've missed it (quite possible) no one has explained how they would be found out if they look for non legitimate reasons

Sarahrellyboo1987 · 21/03/2021 18:38

@flatoutonsofa I mean, it is - but you’re entitled your opinion. No need to go replying to everyone you disagree with.

@flyingburrito well, I work in a school and files are restricted to specific users only. So, there are laws that require employers and data holders to ensure safety of information and plenty of ways in which they can do it.

eeyore228 · 21/03/2021 18:40

Where I work every action is registered against the card of the person accessing the record. As far as I know it leaves an audit trail so you can see who has done what on a record. So who booked an appointment, who saw the patient etc. I hope that helps?

Thisgroupneverceasestoamazeme · 21/03/2021 18:43

Within theory she can but if she’s caught checking them without needing to then she’d be in deep bother.

I grew up in a small village where everyone used the same surgery and my mum was the receptionist which meant she had access to all the other parents records and no one had much choice in the matter. TBF she wasn’t mouthy and never shared any confidential information. Even if school friends told me they’d seen my mum there she wouldn’t speak about it.

When we hit our teenage years she gave me and my siblings the details of the sexual health clinic in case we ever wanted to see a doctor for something we didn’t want her to know about as she couldn’t guarantee that she wouldn’t find out through work.

Bebethany · 21/03/2021 18:44

@Sarahrellyboo1987, don’t you imagine for for second that’s what she’s concerned about? I don’t think she’s being unreasonable after what I’ve seen what some staff do... Wow!!

FlyingBurrito · 21/03/2021 18:45

@eeyore228

Where I work every action is registered against the card of the person accessing the record. As far as I know it leaves an audit trail so you can see who has done what on a record. So who booked an appointment, who saw the patient etc. I hope that helps?
I totally understand how the system works, that's pretty obvious but how would someone be found out if they were abusing their position? What would make someone look at the audit trail in the first place is what I'm trying to find out
HPmagic · 21/03/2021 18:46

Gp receptionists can see everything including all consultation notes and what the Gp just wrote regarding your visit. It's part of their Job as they may need to access this for further appointments or to check information. When the Gp writes the consult notes it also states the medication given at the time under the note.

FlyingBurrito · 21/03/2021 18:48

[quote Sarahrellyboo1987]@flatoutonsofa I mean, it is - but you’re entitled your opinion. No need to go replying to everyone you disagree with.

@flyingburrito well, I work in a school and files are restricted to specific users only. So, there are laws that require employers and data holders to ensure safety of information and plenty of ways in which they can do it.[/quote]
OK, but what if the person who is allowed to look at the data then tells all the other people who aren't allowed to know it?

My point is that no law can ever stop data getting out it can only punish after the fact when it's too late.

TryingAgain16 · 21/03/2021 18:55

All these MNers saying she would get sacked if she looked. It's neither here nor there. The OP would never know if mouthy did look and it's that the OP doesn't want mouthy to find out stuff about her in the first place that is the issue, not whether or not there are consequences.

I used to work with someone who then moved to my GP and I know for a fact she looked at my records for no good reason. Absolutely bugger all was done about it. It was put down to a mistake. Mistake my arse. I am the only person in this entire county with my surname that I know of.

I then had the issue of whether to stay frinds with her or not and I chose the former as I was worried what she would say if I made a huge deal of it.

It's a shit situation OP. If you have anything super sensitive - move before you get ill.