Neighbour unhappy about HV

[shannue]

I received a telephone call from a HV just before Xmas to advise me that she would be visiting my neighbour at XX date and if she could visit me after.

I have had a very bad experience with the whole HV service in general and have made a complaint about a HV in the past.

Anyway despite me Opting Out this HV still emails, texts and calls every other month or so and she doesn't seem to leave me alone despite me telling her there are no concerns and I will take him to the GP as I always do.

Anyway I saw my neighbour yesterday and mentioned to it in passing that the HV had called me and wanted to visit me after she had been to hers and what was her experience with this HV as I found her quite harassing.

The neighbour got very upset and thought the HV had discussed things with me and said she has breached GRPR and advising people of her appointment, she was very upset with the HIV and wants me to make a complaint for us both.

I am not really sure if the HV had breached any GRPR?
I mean this HV is a real nuisance and is harassing but does it warrant a complaint?

How is that breaking confidentiality? I was told by a nurse that she was allowed to mention my visit to the GP surgery, but not what I was there for.
Similarly, if you both went to the HV rather than her coming to you, you would also know you each had an appointment.

I imagine it would be different if the subject of the appointment is itself sensitive e.g. an abortion clinic.

But if you live next door, you could see her arriving anyway.
And how is having a small baby confidential?

"Because her and her child's private medical information (which includes visits) is nobody else's business."

But how is it private? Anyone could see her going to the house. Anyone could know she has a baby.

I had real issues with service with second to point we complained - constant unscheduled door step visits for no obvious reasons - but did first HV appointment with third - though DH was there - as seemed least hassle way of dealing with them.

During this HV told me she'd just seen a neighbour with a little boy about same age as mine and said she already had PND.

I met the neighbour about year later and she said baby had had huge feeding issues that followed into school years and that had made early months really hard adversely affecting her mental health.. I never said what HV has said to us - as thought it would upset neighbour.

Never saw that HV again either - didn't do weigh in - and when GP practise insisted I could book mine or babies 6 week check up - spoke to child center we went to and they had a more senior HV attached who I hadn't met before- who sorted it that my GP practise was 12 months out of date.

I don't think it would have been HV at 2 year check either - we didn't go as they refused to scheduled at time I could get to or DH - and we had no concerns we just didn't go.

I think in your case just stating a visit happened is much less bad - they try and visit all new mothers so hardly confidential information. With the opting out - for a voluntary service it is hard to do - its why we did first visit with them so they ticked it off.

Block the HVs numbers/email so she can't contact you.
Make friends with your neighbour. You both have babies so it would be good to have friendship and support.
If your neighbour wants to complain about the breach of confidentiality then she can.

Well yes exactly this.... Either it's 'private' that the neighbour has a baby therefore OP shouldn't be assuming that the HV was referring to this neighbour or it's obvious that HV was going to this neighbour because anyone with eyes can see that the neighbour has a baby therefore OP really hasn't been given any additional information from the HV's disclosure. Either way zero harm has or will come to the neighbour or her baby.

yup. I know a MH nurse who was disciplined for that.

Do not complain on behalf of your neighbour - this will only cause problems for you if there's an investigations and the neighbour then retracts, thus making you look like the 'bad guy'. If the neighbour want to complain then they should do so in their own right, not via a third party.

As for NOT wanting a visit from the HV, simple put that in writing, if they still insist on calling firmly tell them to go away, politely. Do not be hostile as thus could be construed as bullying and harassment .

In the case of mental health it is breaking confidentiality though - people tend not to know about someone’s mental health issues. Having a baby is a fairly obvious process. Everybody knows you’ve got one.

Repeated objections from a new mum to the area with a new baby may well raise concerns to health visitors tasked with ensuring the very serious issue of child protection.

The best way to ease those concerns is to say - yes please do pop in any time you happen to be visiting in the neighbourhood, -and to then be amenable to their quick, tick-box visit (even if you don’t follow through with their suggestions and even though you find them intrusive) All you have to do is be friendly and open and have nothing to hide. They will stay away if they see no areas of concern.
Maybe you have been flagged as ‘resistant’ because of your prickly attitude last time ….who knows.

I didn’t have a HV with my babies (not in the UK) but would have been pleased and grateful for such a service which came to me at home rather than me attending clinics, especially with toddlers and pre-schoolers in tow.

As for your neighbour, if she’s not prepared to make a complaint herself then maybe she hasn’t actually got that much to complain about but wanted to ride on the back of your very evident dislike of HV’s. Don’t even think about complaining on her behalf as it could easily backfire on you if the compliant is taken further. She could easily say you misunderstood her stance on HV’s and make out you are just a troublemaker.

Your neighbour has the right to complain. You can if you like but you're not the wronged party. The HV should not have told you they were seeing another patient in a manner which lead you to identify who she was talking about.

There is overlap though as I was seeing my HV fortnightly due to severe pnd/psychosis and she was a vital part of my post natal mental health treatment
My neighbours probably did see various health professionals coming and going from my house but there is a difference between catching a glimpse of a professional entering my house and then explicitly telling another person that they were visiting me at a certain time. Also I've lived in various houses with paper thin walls and it was absolutely possible to be quiet and listen into the conversation in a neighbouring house. I would feel uncomfortable that my neighbour could potentially be listening into a sensitive conversation especially in the situation where I was particularly vulnerable and struggling to reach out due to the perceptions of mothers and mental illnesses in particular the psychosis/delusion aspects

I think you are both being ridiculous.

It's hardly surprising that a HV is checking up on a young baby; it's standard practice.

And why you won't just accept the visit and be done with it, I cannot fathom! You are only drawing attention to yourself by refusing. Maybe the HV wonders if there's a negative reason behind your refusal?

If your neighbour thinks she broke GDPR regs then she can report the HV. Not you as it’s her data that’s been breached, not yours

She has broken gddr., its any identifying information. Op has clearly identified the neighbour by the info given by the hv.
she would have been trained in this.
she cannot should not be saying your neighbour has an apt as they may not want people knowing ( clearly the neighbour was upset by this). I would also complain. I would complain re this and that she is constantly harassing you. If she tries to report you it would be obvious retaliation. She needs retraining.

To achieve precisely what??!

I agree.

If it’s the rules of the area to have 1 visit, then why not just get it over and done with it.

I can’t see any reason why anyone would refuse.
Especially when they get annoyed that they keep being asked.

Well if the neighbour didn't want anyone knowing that she had a routine visit from the HV, she would need to arrange the visit in the dead of night with the HV in heavy disguise...!!

She is doing her job, not "harassing"! Maybe she is concerned by the OP's irrational refusal to engage.

You'd soon be on shouting "neglect!" if the OP was suffering serious PND and the HV had made no attempt to engage!

They can't win!!!

And what is the person is refusing to engage because they have something to hide??

And who would get the blame for not attempting to get the person to engage???

I agree. They can't win. When anything goes wrong they are blamed for not being aware off issues and following up families where there has been no contact and they are also critisised for trying to make contact.
And I don't see a breach of confidentiality either. Health visitors visit families with young children for check ups etc it's not a secret. And presumably she didn't say why she was visiting?

If your neighbour wants to complain that's up to her. But don't get involved. I think the HV was in the wrong to say she was visiting your neighbour. I agree with the poster who said the HV should have said she would be in the area. However, it's a very minor breach of confidetiality. Your neighbour sounds a pain. Give her a wide berth.

And precisely what did you achieve?

Yes it’s a breach of confidentiality. But from my limited experience of HVs I’m not in the slightest surprised. I was at my friends first HV appointment and the HV told her not to offload her bad day to her husband when he came home as he would have had a hard day at work. We were both speechless.

I had a very good HV, same one with all three of mine.

A PP would probably describe her as a "loony old bat" because she didn't have children of her own.

Maybe she has breached GDPR, but I would get too het up about it. I can't stand this culture of sniffing blood when it comes to someone's job. She needs to put food on the table and I don't see what it achieves to risk her job over the difference between "visiting a person nearby" and "visiting next door". Yes, I get that it isn't best practice/breach etc. But it sounds like its being used as an opportunity to settle a grudge which is poor form.