Doctors and police ??

[Cakingaway]

Does anyone know if GPs and doctors at the hospital are able to access police notes?

For context, the situation involved someone speaking to the police as they were worried they did something wrong. They didn’t, but were overthinking and upset and needed reassurance. The police said they did nothing wrong but were very very anxious and had a bit of a tough time leading up to this, and thought they could do with speaking to a social worker, and they passed on the details and the person spoke to a social worker a few days later who immediately closed the case as the person was fine once they had been reassured by the police that they hadn’t done anything wrong and could stop worrying and overthinking about it all.

would the GPs and hospital doctors be able to access this? Is it something they would be able to see or are they notified of it? Either by social work or police? I’m extremely worried as I was overthinking and panicking about something that didn’t even happen and I don’t want it attached to my health record or for my GP to know! I’m absolutely terrified my GP or doctors at hospital will be able to access details of this. Scotland based if it makes a difference.

thanks so much in advance for any help or advice x

Do you have OCD? This happens with some severe cases of OCD - a person going in to police to confess to crimes they didn't commit or asking to check.

I don't think the GPs will have a record of this but I think you could do with some help for your anxiety.

None of those agencies can access each others records as they are separate databases.

No, GP’s only get notified about incidents with potential safe-guarding issues, e.g. domestic violence when child was in the home.

No they can’t.

Yeah I did, thankfully don’t anymore! Unfortunately it nearly sent me crazy- I would see crimes in the paper and then overthink that I had done them! I hadn’t, but my brain just broke and I could convince myself that I had. Thankfully it’s fine now, but I was worried that something I thought I had done (which I hadn’t!) and I spoke to the police and I’m so worried that it got sent to my GP either by the social worker or the police ☹️ It didn’t even happen so I don’t want it attached to my record or my GP to know!

Ok deep breath.

What are you worried about, as in what outcome are you afraid of?

The police have to apply for medical records with consent from the person or apply through the court process

Medical professionals can not access police records.

Multi agency meetings are held where representatives from police medical and social service will discuss individuals who have been referred and risk assess

Sorry this might be a stupid question but what would make it a safe guarding thing?

I know the police officer was worried because I was so anxious and had got myself into a right state, and that’s why she sent the details to the social worker and I spoke to someone the next day, but I’m an adult and I didn’t get sectioned or anything, but if the police officer was worried about someone being anxious would they have contacted the GP? Would that be a safe guarding thing? Sorry I’m so clueless with it all!!

It’s just I thought I had done something (I hadn’t, just OCD messing with my brain!) but it was embarrassing and I don’t want it attached to my medical notes or for my GP to know about it. I wasn’t sure if it would go to the GP because it was referred to social services?

Just read your comment op, it makes sense now. Do not worry this actually happens quite regularly,

Why specifically are you so worried about your gp knowing, surely it's for the best the more professionals involved with you know the better

It’s just the confession was something really really embarrassing, and it didn’t even happen! I look back at it with my sane, non OCD mind and cringe so much because it’s something really embarrassing and it didn’t even happen. I’m better now and don’t overthink things but I don’t want this particular embarrassing confession hanging over me and following me around. The social worker closed it immediately but because the confession is embarrassing I don’t want it being sent to my GP or on my medical record x

Police, medical professionals & social workers can all trigger a safeguarding inquiry under section 42 of the care act for a vunerable adult. However, as social services closed the case after you were referred to them I'd say neither agency had safeguarding concerns.

So no, please don't worry & take a deep breath.

Ah okay thanks for explaining it. Would that mean the social worker would have sent a note to the GP? Or just back to the police since they were the ones who made the referral? I think it was out of hours social work as I had gone to the police station at night and I spoke to a social worker the next day x

If a safeguarding inquiry is started the professionals involved that trigger it contact any agency currently involved or who needs to be involved. It's basically information sharing & person led (ie the person being safeguarded in involved).

IF a safeguarding was triggered then yes, the GP would be involved as they have contact with that person or could assist the person & the inquiry.

However, as I said, because social services don't have any concerns (they shut the case) I doubt you need worry about a safeguarding.

Do you have any help with your OCD?

I guessed as much, I used to have similar symptoms.

I think you should look into Exposure Response Prevention Therapy (the gold standard for OCD).

Yeah I had help and am much better thankfully! I’m only so worried about this because it was particularly embarrassing- when my OCD was at its worst I used to just make up situations in my head and worry I had done it! Thankfully it’s not like this anymore but the particular confession was both embarrassing and untrue and I was so scared about it being on my GP record or whatever. Would I know if a safeguarding thing had taken place? Would I be able to apply for it to be deleted from my police notes? I really don’t want it on there when it was completely untrue ☹️ Thank you so much again for the help x

Op, I'm in the police and I had a month off when my ocd was at it's worst. I had a really bad house move and bereavement and my anxiety sky rocketed. My brain broke also and OCD was how it manifested. I had to obviously speak to my managers at work about it so I can see it from both sides ( someone referred to occupational health and was so worried about how I'd be perceived as a person and someone who works in the police in a department that speaks to social services every day ). Please please please do NOT worry! The social services referral is a routine, means absolutely nothing and as others have stated the fact they closed the case means it's closed. If OCD was anything to worry about I wouldn't have mentioned it myself myself my employer. Nobody thought anything bad about me for how I was experiencing it. I know it is so hard as OCD is not truly understood by anyone who hasn't suffered with it but you'd be surprised how many people in the police ( and probably social services ) do understand it, especially given the nature of the roles we do. Your GP can't access the police notes, if they ever needed them we have to get the persons consent first from a signed form, at least in my force anyway and believe me, someone with OCD experiencing a symptom of it is nothing anyone would ever follow up just because they felt like it I promise. I really reccomend the app NOCD for further forums where you can speak to other people about OCD and it feels far less taboo and embarrassing. OCD is such a common disorder for people to experience and is very much about the brain, not the person themselves or anything remotely linked to their personality. Think of it like the feeling you get when you are tipping your chair and realise it falls a bit too far, but on repeat day and night for however long it lasts. It is just a feeling, but a very unpleasant one and the fear is unbearable when your mind keeps searching for something to worry about where there isn't anything. I am fully healed now and recognise myself in the tone of your post. Really hope this puts your mind at ease :)

Sorry meant to add, contact your force and request a subject access record if you'd like to see the notes held about you. They will disclose them. You can also discuss with them how to ask for data to be removed and options. Sorry this isn't my area of expertise but is something you can look into either on their website or via 101 :)

It’s impossible as a healthcare worker to get much info at all from Social Services in my experience OP. I’ve referred and never had so much as a confirmation. Several emails with no reply.

In this situation I highly doubt they would contact your GP.