Any GP receptionists out there? Can you see medical records easily? What DO you see?

[QOD]

Bit miffed that a mum who doesn't like me is now frigggin receptionist at my gp surgery.
I have had surgery that I absolutely 100% do NOT want her to know about (nasty gossip)

When you ring up to make an appointment I'm sure it's just name address etc, but what about things like test results and X-rays and so on? Do yu look into the records? Do you see it? Or it it just something on the periphery of the records that's accessed?

[Oldmum55]

Yes they can access records but (like the DHSS) if caught looking up a file randomly, you can be sacked on the spot.

[mikyboy]

my now ex wife is very friendly with my GP receptionist, and now something has happened and now i am off to see the practice manager to raise concerns, i really hope she as not been relaying things back to my ex wife,

[Twighlightsparkle]

Thingsthatshine

I tried to get something removed from my daughters record, long story but it was an error made by a health visitor , suggesting child protection were invloved with our family, complete erorr. They wouldnt remove that, but instead placed an addentum. My argument was iunless you read the addentum it was not obviously a mistake. still refused.

[3littlefrogs]

That is how it should be whatshallwedo.
I think the worry comes with the op's knowledge of the character of the person in question.

In the end it comes down to the personal integrity of the individual.
I can understand that op is worried because the person concerned is known to be a "nasty gossip".

How we actually stop people like that being employed in sensitive roles I don't know.

[whatshallwedo]

I work for the NHS and have access to records as part of my job. If we come accross a person we know or know of then we aren't allowed to go into that record and have to ask a colleague to do it instead.

This has always been said to protect us and the patient as we have full access to records within our county not just our home town.

I have often wondered whether this is a rule just for our team or whether it is an NHS wide rule as it should be really.

[Bugsylugs]

Cannot get something completely removed. If it is there in error it can be removed but it can be seen that it has been removed.
If it is a difference of opinion ie yours and the surgery it is unlikely to be removed

[ThePrisonerOfAzkaban]

Yes you can get something removed but it's not an easy process, mum got some history removed from hers or hidden better, I was a lot younger so don't know the full story but something can be done. Think it has to go a panel or appeal

[Bugsylugs]

Op as others have said you can have your records so she cannot access them but it will be at the surgeries discretion. It is a sackable offense to abuse confidential medical info.ditto your dd info

[Legologgo]

Get this then. I have a former pupil as mine. Ew

[ThingsThatShine]

Does anyone know if it's possible to get something completely removed from medical records?

[Musicaltheatremum]

allmixed in our hospitals you cannot look at records unless treating the patient. It come up each time someone logs on. If they are not treating you they have no right to look. I had access to a system which would have allowed me to look at my husbands records. I never did as it would have cost me my job.

[ThePrisonerOfAzkaban]

Yep she can see all your records. Had the same thing with ex best mate, looked up my history and went and blabbed to my ex about some things- rape, mental health etc I certainly didn't tell her any of that info. Wrote to PM but it brushed under the carpet. She still works there now. I moved doctors

[QOD]

Hope so
Sigh moan whine

[Cleanthatroomnow]

The point about confidentiality is that you may be privy to all sorts of very private info, but you NEVER tell. It's not just what's written down, but what you see and hear too.

OP--if your info got leaked, it would be pretty obvious where it came from and she could lose her job. Let's hope she understands that, eh?

[allmixedupreally]

Can I ask the same thing about hospital records. My SIL is a nurse at our local hospital and I am a bit concerned that she could look at my paper file and computer records for info about my med history as all my ops and treatments have been there. Is it possible for a nurse to look at any patients records providing she knows the name and d.o.b?

[3littlefrogs]

I suppose you and all the other people who are worried about this could ask the practice manager to password protect your records.
If this person is a known gossip she isn't suitable to be in a position of trust with people's confidential records.

[QOD]

Thanks peeps.

So annoying as she sent her dd to a school out of HER area and has now taken a job In OUR area ... So alllll the school mums will now see her there. Ugh.
I should get over it really but I had bariatric surgery and it's none of her damn business or her other bitchy friends - I'm not proud of my surgery, embarrassed by it actually. I don't want them to know

[Musicaltheatremum]

When booking an appointment you would see very little, just name and address. But she could see you diagnoses if scanning letters in. There are hundreds each day but your name on a letter may alert her to your diagnosis.
All computer users have their own login details and you can audit quite easily who has accessed the record. I would speak to your PM and ask her to discuss confidentiality in detail with your mum (she should have done so anyway) tell her it's a dismissible offence and that it is easy to audit who has opened a patient record.

I would ask that your mum immediately passes any contact to do with you to another member of staff. But if she opens mail she will see which department it is from but if she gossips that is not on.

The only other thing is for you to change GP surgeries but that isn't really fair on you.

[Kyyria]

Damn typos! That's what you get for replying on a phone!

[Kyyria]

I am a Deputy Practice Manager and if you write to Practice explaining that you know them personal and that although you are aware of confidentiality clauses you would prefer it if she couldn't access your or your families records then they shod be able to password protect them so that only certain (designated) members of staff (usually GPs, nursing staff and management) can access them.

[nachohousekeeper]

I am a practice manager and I am afraid to say it would be very difficult to say she can't access your notes.

However I would very much want to know about this situation so I could monitor whether and why she was accessing your notes.

If you get even the slightest whiff that she has looked without needing to she would very likely be sacked.

This is horrible for you - I would definitely speak to the manager to make her aware although try and keep it emotion free - just that you know her quite well and are concerned. PM me if you like.

[shouldnthavesaid]

So what I'm saying is if there's anything you'd really, really not want to her know it is possible to have it hidden I think.

[shouldnthavesaid]

I think you can ask for some stuff to be kept more private. I have some stuff - a letter, and notes from certain appointments - that are hidden from my standard medical record as far as I know. GP said that no one can access them without prior need and a very good reason - even if they could access my main records. Something like they would only know that file existed if I told them or my GP told them.

It helps a lot and means I'm not worried - my friend works on reception and there's a lot I would very much not like her to know at all.

However I admit I did ring nhs 24 one afternoon with a mental health crisis. They told me to phone the surgery and my friend answered, I never told her what was wrong and just asked her to get the GP to call me. She phoned that evening - my friend did - and it was plain to see she knew why I wanted the GP to call.

[QOD]

Thanks alpaca
We only have 2 surgeries and this is the older but I think better one, the new one is fancy schmantzy with on site pharmacy but you wait 2/3 weeks for an appointment. Mine, you ring 8:30 and I have NEVER not got an appointment
Sigh

[AlpacaYourThings]

I've worked in a GP surgery, yes they can see all of your records.

In the GP surgery I worked in every time you looked at something it was recorded on the system.

It would be a breach of the data protection act for her to access anything he didn't have a reason to.