Do I have a right to be Angry

[Hm1987]

Bit of a long story but I have been suffering with anxiety for the last 18 months and it started in my pregnancy I felt really under pressure from work with antenatal appointments and time keeping it was a complicated pregnancy to make matters worse the department and hospital that I work for is the same one that conducted all my appointments I was relieved when I went on maternity leave anyway fast forward to the week I was due to go back I found out work colleagues had accessed my medical notes the day of my delivery and a few times around appointments people who were not involved in my care there were things on my medical records that were private I feel so let down I reported it to my boss and I was told they would all receive warnings in writing I don’t know if that happened I feel as if I have been spiralling since then my partner got diagnosed with cancer 8 months ago and is currently receiving treatment but I can’t get rid of this gut wrenching anxiety I am worried about everything it’s actually effecting my health now. I spoke to someone at work about the initial pressure I felt that kicked this off and she said it was 2 years ago I need to get over it !! Am I being over the top to have let me effect me like this ? .

I am planning on taking this further I am waiting a few weeks before I do it my partner is at the end of his treatment so I’m trying to reduce my stress levels as much as possible I am considering moving departments. I don’t think anyone has accessed my partners records he only had partial care at this hospital and the rest in another that specialises in treatment/surgery for his type of cancer. When this happened before lots of emails were going around warning people not to access staff records and so on . As I said earlier I don’t even know if these people were given a warning it’s just what I was told would happen but I still know it happens on a regular basis with multiple staff members .

Moving departments is a good idea, and work on your assertive skills in the meantime. They should be worried about your reaction, not the other way around, you should not be living in fear op.

I am so sorry that your privacy was breached in that way. There is no reason or excuse good enough for any of them.

You have so much on your plate right now, so give yourself some grace. I'm glad you are getting some counselling as well.

I hope things get better for you and your DP, and you can rise above your bitchy co-workers' nosiness.

Do you work for thr NHS? If so, I suggest escalating your concerns to your freedom to speak up guardian, especially as you don't know whether the incidents have been investigated and your colleagues spoken to. If they are Nurses/Midwives, I would also refer them to the NMC. What they have done is unacceptable and is a fitness to practice issue. It sounds as if you work in an incredibly toxic environment- its no wonder you feel anxious. I hope you're DH is OK.

There's a really big problem with your workplace. Your question is if you have a right to be angry: yes, very obvious here, if people at your work have accessed your records that is serious misconduct. I think you know this full well but you're struggling with anxiety at the moment and your workplace sounds like it has a nasty bullying culture.

I wouldn't leave this for too long. Follow up whatever you need to with brief factual emails so you have a paper trail, and ask your union to step in on your behalf. You don't need the stress and they will have dealt with similar before. There will be a clear trail on any electronic record and it will be obvious none of your work colleagues should have been in your record, so there shouldn't be a lot on you. Your manager doesn't sound like they'll be much help unfortunately.

i am trying to be less explosive about it but I think with everything going on ,my emotions are all over the place I’m trying to keep everything together whilst dealing with this anxiety I literally feel like my head is going to explode.

Come on OP! Whatever job you do in the hospital you've surely had enough training to know how wrong this is. You need to report it. Does your dpt have a caldicott guardian? Maybe have a chat with them firstly? Sorry it's happening to you xx

one of my colleagues on another ward was on ITU and several staff got sacked for looking at her records.

You should speak to your union rep and they can help you raise a grievance about this.

You could also raise a PALS complaint.

You need to take this further. The trust should have informed you, the data subject, of the breach and kept you updated on what actions they were taking. Based on what you've said you'd also have a case for compensation.

www.cesi.org.uk/employer-personal-data-breach-compensation/nhs-employee-gdpr-data-breach-compensation-claims/

When you feel able, I'd arrange to see your Union rep and go from there.

Thank you we are getting there it’s been a rough year but the end is in sight I’ve been putting off what to do with this work situation mainly because I didn’t know how to go about it without a huge blow back but if I’m being honest with myself I am at the point where I couldn’t give a shit anymore I want them to know what they have done and that I know it’s crazy there’s this bitchy culture in the NHS where this stuff is allowed to happen . As it is without this happening to me the environment is so toxic .

I did report it and I was told they would all get warnings letters and left it at that it was all brushed under the carpet.

They sound like they had a manager that cared about that stuff mine is more interested in staffing levels … 13 people looked at my records some of them more than once

That’s definitely my next step

I actually informed them of the the data breach I went in all guns blazing and feel as if I wasn’t taken seriously at all.

Accessing medical of a colleague would be a sacking offence in my dept! Shocked that this is a repeat offence too! How many warnings are they going to give them?

No wonder you are anxious OP! And of course you should be angry ! How dare your colleagues do this ! Your dept sounds awful , especially causing you stress over prenatal appointments ! Sounds like you may work in a maternity unit or similar too.

I’m so sorry your partner is ill too . Maybe you need to be signed off for a short period .

Its shocking they've already had warnings for data breaches. It's gross misconduct, you know yourself all staff get training on it. They get sacked for this. Report to Information governance, Pals. Obviously a toxic NHS nosy culture. You're going through alot Op, but report it.

I don't think this is good enough at all. You have the same right to privacy as any other patient. In fact since you're very embedded within the hospital community it's almost more important that they're not nosying at your notes just for funsies. They now know things about you that they had no need or right to know and they've clearly made you feel very uncomfortable in your own workplace. I really think that in most departments this would be gross misconduct and instant dismissal tbh unless they can prove that they had any professional need to be in your notes. We are trained regularly about this and the training is very clear. There's no excuse

Complain to the highest level and don’t accept an apology or a warning. They are repeat offenders - They are likely looking up most people they know!

I probably wouldn’t stop until they were sacked.

Op, don't give up, you've been basically ignored, complain higher up. To think you were going about you're working day, and they'd been accessing your notes without reason for kicks. Data breach and they know that when they go perusing.You're right to be angry. Who do they think they are, fucking untouchable?

I think it's not unusual when you have counselling for big emotions to come up, so you feeling anger right now is normal. It's part of the process. Well done for getting some counselling, that's a positive step already, even if it's tough to go through.

Could you speak with your GP about your anxiety? It's understandable with everything you have on your plate at the moment but they might be able to help.

If they are nurses report them to the nmc. If they are other professionals report them to their governing bodies.
I am sorry this happened to you.