to think that patient confidentiality is taken a little too far sometimes?

[Fimbo]

Ds (5 and in YR) had vision and hearing tests at school. He failed the hearing test, the result being "slight reduction at one frequency", whatever that means.

I asked his teacher today if she knew that he had failed the hearing test as he is struggling with phonic sounds, she said no. She said she asked the nurse doing the tests if there was anything she needed to know and was told "I may have one or two callbacks but I can't tell you anything".

Obviously she doesn't know my son or the fact he has been struggling a bit.

I feel his teacher should have been told, after all its the school nursing team (based at the local health centre) who carried out the tests.

So AIBU?

i would expect them to tell the teacher if it was my son. although perhaps they see it as parents responsibility to do that.

I am guessing that is the case booyhoo. It just seems madness.

According to the letter he is to be retested in 8 weeks, but if I don't want him to be retested I have to phone up to cancel!

SO give your permission for further discusion and evaluation as a team

We're really strict where I work about patient confidentiality. We don't tell anyone anything unless we have agreement from the patient. It does get people's backs up sometimes, but it's the patient's information and down to them if they want to share it so can't do anything unless we check with them first.

It's led to some very funny conversations where I won't say where I am ringing from until the person on the phone confirms they are the patient, and they won't give me their name until I say where I am ringing from (in case I am the police or a man with a baseball bat).

It might be that the nurse is going to check with you that you are happy for the information to be shared with the school. That's pretty standard IME.

I think Yabu, rules are rules. I bet there are plenty of people who wouldn't want the teacher to be told, and the health centre can't work out which is which.
I would presume that if there is anything your childs teacher needs to know, its up to you to tell them.

Oh ok, I guess I just saw red as ds is struggling. I am waiting for them to call back to discuss the results.

Thank you for setting me straight!

You're welcome . Someone else might have seen red that their child's results were discussed with the school before they were discussed with them.