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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I think I've fucked up at work.

110 replies

RainbowBriteUk · 02/10/2021 16:30

I work in healthcare and my job involves taking with clients a lot.

Today I rang someone, said I was calling from organisation name and asked to speak to (clients name). I thought it was the client who I've spoke to a few times but it wasn't, the person who answered (landline) said he was out. Because I said the organisation name I've fucked up, haven't I? We cater people who have a few conditions and the person who answered might not know client has these conditions. Our org name doesn't include anything to do with the conditions but all it would take would be a quick Google of our org name. Fuck fuck fuck!

OP posts:
Disfordarkchocolate · 02/10/2021 18:23

I can't imagine bothering to Google if you spoke to me. Even if I did I wouldn't say anything.

Peoniesandpeaches · 02/10/2021 18:29

@BabyofMine

I work in a call centre and this is really odd to me.

You’re worried because you said what company you were calling from, have I understood that right?

Because that is not breaking any kind of confidentiality in any way. In fact, Ofcom regulation mean l’d be in very hot water if I didn’t say the organisation. We HAVE to say where we are calling from. I thought it was the case with all businesses.

It’s not your fault it was another person. It was the number the person provided to be contacted on, right? I really really think you are overthinking this.

That isn’t the case in healthcare. I work in addictions and it can be a sackable offense because you have breached their patient confidentiality. It absolutely is something that needs to be reported to a manager as it a breach of GDPR. Typically things go no further but if the patient complains or there is consequences from it such as their partner harms them or they lose their job from the disclosure there needs to be accountability.
ilovesooty · 02/10/2021 18:32

You need to tell your manager. It would be regarded as an information sharing breach where I worked but you'd come out of it worse if you didn't acknowledge what had happened.

Ozberry · 02/10/2021 18:33

Chances are the person who answered the phone knew about the reason you were phoning anyway - they’d have to be pretty close to them to answer the phone wouldn’t they?

ilovesooty · 02/10/2021 18:33

Yes @Peoniesandpeaches, I worked in addiction too.

BabyofMine · 02/10/2021 18:35

That makes a lot of sense, thank you for explaining.

BabyofMine · 02/10/2021 18:37

Sorry that was for Peoniesandpeaches

UltimateBugKilla · 02/10/2021 18:39

If I took a call for someone else, it wouldn't even occur to me to Google the name 🤷🏽‍♀️

MrsLargeEmbodied · 02/10/2021 18:42

doesnt the person have a mobile?
they gave their work number and so obviously didnt mind being called there?

MrsLargeEmbodied · 02/10/2021 18:42

you should have asked for the person and there was no need to say where you were ringing from

MrsLargeEmbodied · 02/10/2021 18:44

oh you rang their house?
well even still you need not have said where you were calling from, its done now though.

ilovesooty · 02/10/2021 18:44

@MrsLargeEmbodied

doesnt the person have a mobile? they gave their work number and so obviously didnt mind being called there?
It doesn't say it was a work number but a landline number. It's still a breach of information sharing to mention the organisation to anyone else not on a signed agreement.
Winterjoy · 02/10/2021 18:45

Oh god this is a nightmare when working for a healthcare org. I used to regularly have people refuse to confirm whether they were the patient until I had told them where I was calling from! And the office phone line wasn't a withheld number anyway so all they would need to do is google the phone number to find out who we were!

Organisations are responsible for ensuring that they are talking to the patient directly before sharing any sensitive information.

Our org took the view that disclosing the name of the organisation is not sensitive information - as pp noted, it could be a marketing call etc. Saying something along the lines of 'we're calling to discuss their appointment' or disclosing any specific details about their treatment etc would have been considered problematic.

ilovesooty · 02/10/2021 18:48

I worked with people who lived with relatives who weren't aware they were in treatment. If I'd mentioned the organisation to one of those relatives on a call I'd have been in trouble. If I'd done it inadvertently I'd have told my manager. It would have been the best course of action.

Original poster
RainbowBriteUk · 02/10/2021 18:54

@MrsLargeEmbodied

you should have asked for the person and there was no need to say where you were ringing from
Obviously there was no need for me to say where I was calling from and it was his home number, not work. I havent mentioned anywhere on here that it was his work number! Obviously i shouldnt have said where i was phoning from and this is why I'm panicking about it on here. It just came out. I said hello, this is rainbow from org name can I speak to client name please?
OP posts:
Bobbajobs · 02/10/2021 18:58

Ahh I feel for you! I work in a sensitive area of healthcare and it's very difficult making outgoing calls, especially when you ask for someone and you're net with, who's calling, where are you from...

As long as you didn't divulge any personal details I wouldn't worry too much, as someone above has said, you could have been marketing...altho they will probably forget to tell the person you even phoned anyway.

neveradullmoment99 · 02/10/2021 19:01

@RainbowBriteUk

Thanks for all your replies. I'll try and chill out a bit then. I love my job and try so hard. I pride myself in the service I provide. Not today lol.
Just keep it to yourself for now and wait until it blows over.
neveradullmoment99 · 02/10/2021 19:02

Nothing will most likely come of it.

DoThePropeller · 02/10/2021 19:06

I doubt the person cared or caught it tbh, I’d say nothing. Also, you could be calling about fundraising, a job interview etc?

THisbackwithavengeance · 02/10/2021 19:12

I would drop a line to your line manager, saying this happened and you are a bit worried about the potential breach in confidentiality. It then becomes your manager's job to worry about it and then I would honestly forget it.

You might get a verbal warning, I suppose but it's hardly gross misconduct.

If it makes you feel better, in my previous role, I inadvertently told a service user's parents that he was gay and married to another man. They were completely unaware of this and thought the man in question was a flatmate.

I just made a note on the system in the event of any complaint which luckily didn't happen.

AnotherVice · 02/10/2021 19:15

You must know you have a duty of candour to own up to this?

Motorina · 02/10/2021 19:17

@BabyofMine

I work in a call centre and this is really odd to me.

You’re worried because you said what company you were calling from, have I understood that right?

Because that is not breaking any kind of confidentiality in any way. In fact, Ofcom regulation mean l’d be in very hot water if I didn’t say the organisation. We HAVE to say where we are calling from. I thought it was the case with all businesses.

It’s not your fault it was another person. It was the number the person provided to be contacted on, right? I really really think you are overthinking this.

Depends who you're calling from. I work in a bit of healthcare where simply knowing someone is our patient reveals sensitive information about them. Imagine these...

"Hi, I'm Jane from the high risk pregnancy team, can I speak to Kate?"
"Hi, I'm phoning from Drug and Alcohol Services, can I speak to Fred?"
"Hi, this is the probation service, can I speak to John?"
"H, this is Betty from Citizens Advice Debt Support Team..."

Any of those has the potential to create issues for the client, if the person who answers doesn't and shouldn't know they're pregnant/dealing with an addiction/on probation/in debt.

@RainbowBriteUk I think what you do depends on your organisation. In my bit of the NHS - which is genuinely good about trying to deal with cockups openly and a source for learning - I'd raise it as a 'thing to be aware of' either at a team meeting or by an incident form. If your organisation has a different attitude you may decide it's safer to keep your head down and hope you don't get caught!

anonymousanne · 02/10/2021 19:24

@RainbowBriteUk

Thanks for your replies. Is it a sackable offence? It probably contravenes the confidentiality policy. I love my job. I'd hate to get let go because of it.
Nurse here... It is not a sackable offence. A lot of people consent to sharing information with family anyway. Is there somewhere on the documentation that says whether they consent to sharing? If so maybe you could look at this before calling so if you get caught with a 'she's out, who's calling?', you can plan an appropriate response. It sounds to me like your new to the role? I would probably seek some guidance from my manager or a senior colleague and just be honest, and ask their advice for how they handle such calls to prevent any confidentiality breach. At worse in this situation you would have to complete an incident form (although manager may also say not required). It sounds scary but it's not, there will be a bit saying outcome etc so that's where you would do additional training or complete reflection with a colleague/manager. Honestly, just get it out in the open otherwise what are you going to do on the next call if you haven't talked it over and agreed what is/isn't appropriate information to part with.
ThinWomansBrain · 02/10/2021 19:25

half the time when I answer the phone, the caller says the "I'm calling from gobbledigook & thingy " so swiftly that I usually have to ask them to repeat it anyway.

Beansontoast45 · 02/10/2021 19:29

I’ve done this before, it’s an easy mistake to make. Now when I call clients I always say “Hi is this xyz” before anything else.

I really wouldn’t worry, I work in an area that people would really not want everyone knowing they are involved with.