patient questionnaire for depression - how can i stop receptionist opening?

[ThatVikRinA22]

hi

i have a patient questionnaire for depression/anxiety but as i used to work at my own gp surgery i am loathe to take it in and just hand it over to the reception and my former work colleagues.

i know its a bit daft and they can all see my medical records anyway if they choose to do so, but thats just how i feel....

if i put it in an envelope and seal it the reception will still open it
if i put it into a envelope and mark it private and confidential for the gp to open it will still get passed back to reception to scan and file.

im embarrassed. really embarrassed. ive been prescribed sertraline to help me through a bad patch and i cant face handing this in.

my gp wants to see me in 2 weeks. i am worried that if i start being difficult they may suggest i de register myself with them and go to another gp which i do not want to do.

oh ive just sent it back, sod it. there seemed no point in trying to hide it as it will be scanned onto my records anyway.

im probably being daft.

Vicar if you don't mind me asking, which are you so embarrassed about taking sertraline?

You shouldn't be embarrassed any more than you should if you were getting antibiotics for tonsillitis.

You are probably feeling a bit over sensitive because of the depression - I certainly did when I had PND. I was convinced everyone was laughing at me or out to get me but now I look back I realise I had things totally out of proportion.

Nobody is going to judge you or ridicule you. In fact they will probably take absolutely no notice whatsoever.

Glad you sent it in because it is important.

No you are not being daft. I think you do need to have a discussion about confidentality and tell your GP that you do not want your former working collegues knowing that you are depressed. It is fair enough to tell your GP that you do not want people in reception to see your notes.

"my gp wants to see me in 2 weeks. i am worried that if i start being difficult they may suggest i de register myself with them and go to another gp which i do not want to do."

A GP cannot kick you off a list that easily. I suppose that if you are experiencing extreme anxiety about your former collegues finding out you are ill then changing surgeries may be a solution. Is there anyone that you can trust where you are work. Ie. could you ask for your records to be handled by a particular person.

thanks everyone. I got DH to take it back in and pick up my prescription. I just thought id better give it back and forget about it. its the least of my problems really.

madmouse - its not so much that im embarrassed about taking the meds - its more that i didnt want my nosey ex colleagues to know my medical ins and outs - they were not the nicest bunch of people to work with, and i left on a high to start My Brilliant New Career, and now 18 months later, what with massive pressure at work and massive pressure at home (i have an autistic DS who has been stealing from my bank account and has sent me so overdrawn i could not afford my car tax) i am a weepy, pathetic, anxiety ridden mess, and when i let something slip at work it came back to bite me, so i am battling on, alone, unsupported and its hard, i am not ever letting anyone at work know anything personal about me ever again, i am in the police and its just not the done thing too admit depression.
my ex work mates will not know why ive finally cracked, but they will know i have and thats bad enough, they will just see that im depressed and i know at least 2 of them will secretly smile....

I've seen your threads about your ds before - he's giving you an awful lot of worry and stress.

And reading your post I can understand where you are coming from with your ex-colleagues.

Am at police culture re depression. It's a tough job, it must happen at least as often as it does elsewhere if not more.