Gdpr at the doctor's reception

[MsGreying]

https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/community-leader-overhears-patients-private-10779277.amp

I dislike giving personal information in public. I think this news article highlights concerns.

Giving date of birth out and address at the doctor's or chemist feels really wrong when the place is busy.

I can see this is an issue but it’s difficult when there needs to be some verification of who you are to get information or a prescription.

The hideous plastic screens that went up in Covid haven’t helped.

I’ve worked in practices and some patients have their ID ready to hand over so that the don’t have to say their details out loud.

We need a national identity card. There’s a good reason in most places to have checks on who you are. You surely don’t expect medicines to go to just anyone? I’d just get a thicker skin and accept people around you don’t care. As presumably you don’t care about what they say.

Who is going to finance this and more importantly where is the money tree growing?

It's not a breach of GDPR to ask name or DOB, it's for patient safety.

I don't think this lady understands GDPR. It would be a breach if the practice staff loudly announced it without the patients permission, but it's not a breach when the person whose information it is states it.

Slightly different but I used to work in a supermarket and I would often have to tell customers not to flip their wallet completely open and leave it when they got their store card out. They would have their driving licence in the front with their full name, address and date of birth, quite often their card PIN written down in there, and other personal information which they would lay down on the counter while they faffed about swiping their card, for anyone with ill intent to take a furtive photo of or just memorise.

I would know which of my customers were having regular medical treatment as they'd have their appointment card from the doctor visible, quite often a medical card which said what treatment they were having (if it needed to be quickly available in the event of a collapse). We all carry a lot of personal information on us, and need to remember how little it can take for someone to copy and steal at least part of your identity.

No, we do not. Given the Civil Service's appalling record with IT projects, I can think of few things the country needs less.

Me telling a receptionist my DOB to confirm who I am is in no way a breach of GDPR. Someone overhearing me is not a breach of GDPR. There needs to be checks to make sure they are dealing with the correct person. Ridiculous overreaction.

If you're that worried, you could get your phone out (assuming you have a smartphone) and write your name and date of birth on the notes app and shoe it to the receptionist. Just say 'I'll write it down, as I'm not comfortable with other people hearing me say it'. Personally, it has never bothered me giving my name and DOB to the pharmacist or doctor's receptionist.

The worse thing I ever experienced was waiting in a long queue at Boot's pharmacy area.
I was waiting for my prescription. There was a lady stood to the side, not in the queue.
The pharmacist asked her assistant if the lady stood the side was waiting to be served.
The assistant said in a loud voice without even thinking "Oh, she's being dealt with, she's waiting for the morning after pill"
The poor woman got really upset, everyone heard what was said....

I’ve known it be a problem too. I had to say my address loudly in front of people who were not allowed to know where I live for safeguarding reasons. I stage whispered and hoped, because of the queue behind me and the woman not understanding my concern.

@IamnotSethRogan when you are required to do so, it’s a breach of GDPR. The system is set up to effectively force you to share information you may need to keep confidential.

And what is someone going to do with your name and birthday?

You could just write it on your phone and hand it over.

@MrThorpeHazell I don’t agree. It would help have all info held in one place. Certainly would help with security.

This info given verbally in a waiting room is nothing to do with gdpr. It’s a checking system. The law around holding and sharing info is what matters. Not saying your name!

It was my address I had to share, and still do at the pharmacy. It’s no longer a problem. It was a safeguarding problem at the time.

If I’d not answered and started fiddling with my phone, I think she’d have moved on to the next person in line. When you are in a noisy environment with impatient people behind, and a deadline to check in for an appointment, it’s not easy to resist the pressure.

Requiring people to say their address loudly in public is a safeguarding issue.

My local pharmacy has a box of bits of paper and pens for you to write it down, it works well.

At my gp, you check in via a qr code or the screen on the wall, again, no issues.

I’m ann adoptive mum. Pre-adoption order my child’s name was the birth one they’d always had and giving that alone was a safeguarding concern.
Now their surname has changed but still saying first name and DOB or address is a worry for me in case someone who knows the birth family is around and recognises them.

It is surprisingly hard to get certain places (anything NHS related particularly) to understand and make adjustments for this.

@PrizedPickledPopcorn It absolutely is not. In hardly any circumstances! And they are safe house type families by and large. Safeguarding is not about saying your name. It’s about being groomed and abused.

Yeah you can't breach gdpr by saying your own name and address. Or accidentally hearing someone else doing so.

If you noted down the data and then used it for purposes without the person's consent then you would be.

I guess they could have a little pad and pen and people can write it down, or they could just have it in their phone and raise the screen.

But the simple act of overhearing someone saying something personal about themselves isn't a breach of gdpr. As long as you don't 'steal' that information and use it.

But by requiring you to say your details out loud within earshot of other people, they are laying you open to the risk that someone else will use your details nefariously.

I had to give out my phone number in Zara in order to make a return. It was visible on the till screen facing outwards into the store. The person behind my in the queue made a note of my number and sent me abusive text messages. After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing I got Zara to change their policy, but I no longer shop there. What if, say, I’d escaped an abusive relationship and the person behind me knew my ex and took down my number and gave it to them ?

Boots requires you to give the date of birth and address of the person you’re collecting a prescription for. Those details can absolutely be used to commit fraud. We should all be much more aware that, even though giving our details does not in itself consist of a GDPR breach, other people can use those details illegally / to our detriment.

There really are not people taking your details down in a shop or doctor’s who would use them illegally! Honestly!

So two really simple adaptations that would work almost anywhere. So sensible. It'll never catch on!

There are, however, always a certain % of people at risk from abusive ex partners, stalkers, and birth families in the case of adoption.

None of those affect me thankfully, but I can see how difficult it would be.

My post above yours literally tells you that there are, with a concrete example!