To think a week's suspension isn't enough for this ?

[milkyway100]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10805247/Doctor-43-unlawfully-accessed-pregnant-ex-girlfriends-medical-records.html

He needs to be struck off

Yep. There is no way he does not understand the consequences of what he did. Confidentiality and clinical governance is drummed into medics and NHS workers to the Nth degree on a yearly basis as part of mandatory training.

He thought his position put him above all that. It shouldn’t, although it seems he was right

It reads as though the trust has issued their (pitiful) punishment, but I expect that the GMC will be over him like a rash- so it could still be career ending.

@Toddlerteaplease

I get that it’s against the rules. But I mean in the emotional distress of the day and having the records at his fingertips it’s understandable to be sad and want to see it.

How often is he going to be in that situation. I don’t think he should have been sacked, just my opinion.

@Tamzo85 his emotional distress is no excuse. He's in a position of trust. A colleague of mine is leaving nursing to work as admin in about department. My friends husband has just been diagnosed with cancer and will be treated in the same department. She's really worried about my colleague being there and having access to his records. Though she won't be unprofessional.

I think the punishment is appropriate given the circumstances.
I think sacking people for a first offence GDPR breach is draconian and OTT.

I get that it’s against the rules. But I mean in the emotional distress of the day and having the records at his fingertips it’s understandable to be sad and want to see it.

and

I think sacking people for a first offence GDPR breach is draconian and OTT.

JFC. No.

"draconian and OTT" you don't understand the seriousness of letting one event like this (which is a pretty big one) slide. It is not draconian or OTT it is what GDPR is all about.

"emotional distress" fuck's sakes. Women are told off and disregarded for serious jobs because they're too emotional. He knew what he did was a huge thing. And yet he did it.

I repeat: he should be struck off. As punishment for him and pour encourager les autres as they say.

@Brefugee
draconian and OTT" you don't understand the seriousness of letting one event like this (which is a pretty big one) slide. It is not draconian or OTT it is what GDPR is all about.

Formal written disciplinary action plus a week suspension isn’t “letting one event slide”. It is imho draconian and OTT to immediately sack on the first offence.

it is a massive breach of rules. It is entirely letting it slide by giving what amounts to a very gentle slap on the wrist.

In some cases an immediate sacking is entirely reasonable.

If this had been a nurse, they would have been sacked. This was a deliberate calculated act. He’s got away with it because presumably radiologists are in short supply. But it’s double standards and wrong.

I repeat: he should be struck off. As punishment for him and pour encourager les autres as they say.

So you think he should not only lose his job, but he barred from practicing medicine the rest of his life? You’re one of those no second chances type of people aren’t you. One mistake and the person gets tossed into a human rubbish pile. By the way your French is wrong you said “for encouraging the others” when I think you mean to discourage or deter others, which is pour dissuader les autres.

There was a story in the news in the last week about a woman (a ward manager I think) who was sacked for looking up the ward number of her son's ex and popping in to say congratulations and give her new baby a toy.
Looking up someone's details is totally forbidden. There should be no exceptions.

This is a huge breach of confidentiality. I work for a mental health trust and it just so happens that I've also had mental health treatment under the same Trust (but a different team to the one I work in), as has one of my friends. If I looked up my friend's record, I'd be harshly disciplined and likely suspended. I'd also be in a lot of trouble for accessing my own record without going through the appropriate channels via the team who treated me. This sort of thing is really not OK and there is no excuse.

I’m stunned at the first two responses to this.

I have to ask, are you women and are you in the UK?

This is absolutely a sackable offence.

Urgh the misogyny in some of these replies. Like how it's his baby, he must've been upset. Will no one think of the poor manz feelz. Urgh.

The rules are clear. He broke them intentionally. A week's suspension is an absolute joke.

Poor woman. I still think sacking on first offence is draconian. It’s not like it’s classified information that you’ve shared causing people to die. It’s a breach of privacy, yes, but suspension without pay is similar to the fines that corporations pay when they do a GDPR breach. Corporations aren’t “struck off” as in forced to cease trading/working and close down the business. So why should a human person be held to a higher standard?

Woah. Personal health information is as confidential as it gets under GDPR.

He decided to stalk her
• after he decided to form a permanent relationship with another person
• after he decided to not inform her of his decision to create a formal relationship with someone who was not her.

He decided to use his job to gain access to her life.

He made that decision about his job (to stalk her, break and enter and steal from his job)
knowing that it is regarded as professional misconduct and that by his action he risked his professional qualifications too.

It was not one mistake it was a number of active choices which he made.

Massive breach - he should have been sacked. He knew it was wrong, he'd had the training. Really not comfortable with an NHS that lets stuff like this slide.

Also why have previous posters stated that she broke up with him? I didn't see that in the article. It says they broke up on the same day she told him she was pregnant. It's a neutral statement but most of us know what breaking up on the same day you tell someone you're pregnant means.

Sackable offence at my work (not NHS, Civil Service) and possible prosecution.

An absolute disgrace. He should be sacked at the very least.

I don't think he should be sacked for a first offence. I can understand why he did it - although it was definitely wrong. But I'd rather have his skills available to people rather than sacking for doing something understandable. If it was a second offence, sure, sack them.

YANBU OP, That is really concerning. Can’t believe some people are so blasé about it. The thought that someone, anyone, can just access my medical records and be let off so lightly angers me. Its really not relevant that she was pregnant IMO.

I would sack but not strike off. Terry Pratchett wrote in one of his books "If you will do it for a good reason, you will do it for a bad one." Opinions on whether his reason was a good one or a bad one may vary but the consequence MUST always be the same. If its not then the system won't be trusted.

He should have been sacked.

There are so few experts on medical disciplinary processes. It is unbelievably hard (near impossible) to discipline a medic, never mind sack them. Believe me. It’s nothing like the usual disciplinary process you would expect and involves barristers from the off.

It’s not at all understandable. He accessed her confidential health records with no clinical cause, because he wanted to. Total misuse of power, disregard for her privacy and breach of legislation. Ethically and legally he doesn’t have a leg to stand on - I’d be sacked and struck off if I did the same in my non-medical job.