Lied to GP to get referral - implications for health cover etc.

[ipsofatto234]

Hi,
I lied to my GP about family history to get referred for tests/investigations for a health condition that I had previously been fobbed off about on three separate occasions - I lied because I didn't want to be fobbed off again and I was very worried and anxious about the symptoms. I had the test. The results were very luckily negative but it did lead to another (far less serious) condition being diagnosed which I was subsequently treated for.

This is now presumably recorded in my medical records and I have a job interview, where if successful, I am required to disclose medical history. Job also includes possible private health cover and again, my NHS records will then presumeably form part of the underwriting.

How can I resolve this mess?! I feel guilty having lied, but equally, I am glad it convinced my GP to allow me to have the test. I accept responsibility for having lied but I would like to avoid, if possible, influencing any private health insurance cover/job offers negatively. How can I best manage this - should I approach my GP/practice manager and admit what I did and request that my medical records are amended to reflect that? Is that possible?! Oh god, I've really messed this up but at the time, i was almost beside myself with worry that I had a serious illness and the GP just wouldn't bloody listen to my concerns at all! Appreciate this is all rather unbecoming of sympathy and is a mess of my own making, but any advice would be really really appreciated.

I'm no expert but I'd be very surprised if they went through all your medical records. Surely they just want a general overview. I would say nothing yet.

I don't think they would see your medical records. They are private

Are you able to say what the lie was? I suspect it's not nearly as bad as you think.

Your GP won't give a shit about this.

Your employer won't give a shit. It's nothing to do with your employment and won't be disclosed to them.

When you start your private cover you will just have to disclose your family history (actual, not made up) and existing conditions. The end.

I'd leave it alone. If anything came up you can just say your mum told you the wrong thing or you got the wrong end of the stick.

The private health cover will only go through your medical records if you ever need make a claim. So long as you never make a claim related to the condition you said you have a family history of, I don't see a problem. You will have to disclose to the insurer that you had a test for this condition, and also about the condition that you did test positive for.

Likewise, as you tested negative for this problem, I don't see why this should affect any job offer? You should tell them about the condition you were eventually diagnosed with, if you are asked to make a medical disclosure.

You need to admit it. If you can't bring yourself to tell the truth, tell the surgery that you 'made a mistake about your family history' and that you would like your record amended for accuracy.

Just say you were mistaken or that a family member has given you the wrong information. This happens all the time!

Yep, I'd go with being mistaken/told the wrong thing by a relative. Good luck, we all mess up sometimes.

In very different circumstances I do see some patients' insurance claims.

Pretty often, their understanding of their illness will be variable to put it kindly, the chronology they relate and the chronology in the notes will be wildly different and what they remember now will be different to what they said at the very beginning to the first doctor in the notes. All of these will be genuine memories from people filling out the forms to the best of their abilities.

Your story is positively mild compared to some of these. Family member gave you the wrong information happens all the time.

Thanks all - have braced self for mortifying call to GP practice tomorrow and have decided to go with "badly briefed on family history by family member". I have taken this as a lesson and next time, will just ask for a second opinion rather than fabricate supporting medical history...

I really wouldn't call your GP practice. When we offer health cover to our employees it is just a nice benefit.

I think you are worrying over nothing. The only thing is you won't be able to claim for stuff relating to any existing conditions.

And say for example you were worried you had a heart condition due to family history and you exaggerated that you had palpitations - well surely the fact the tests showed you didn't have that condition is a good thing from a future employer's perspective?

Seriously - why bother?

You haven't got the job yet, even if you get the medical cover you aren't using it for anything related to the condition family member hasn't got.

No-one cares.

As others have said, stay silent.

You are making a mountain out of a molehill.

Insurers have access to your medical records (I was told this by a consultant) IF for example you try to claim for something that is chronic and for which you have had treatment, and the policy excluded chronic conditions (and you are trying to lie to them saying it's the first time you have had symptoms.)

But company policies usually cover pre-existing conditions anyway-it's only if you transfer from company to individual that this might happen.

You really don't need to do anything about this. As others have said, unless you ever need to make a claim relating to this, no one is going to look at it. Don't bother calling your GP to try to correct it now.

Honestly don't bother doing anything until you have got the job!

Thanks all - I have got the job! I called the GP practice yesterday to update my records and as you all predicted, they weren't terribly bothered and just added a note to say that medical history taken at the appointment and been inaccurate. Am massive numpty. Thanks for all your help!!!