De-registered patient and medical records

[Pseudonym99]

If I am no longer registered at a GP practice, where would my medical records be kept?

Well 4 Years of research later you must be the first Practice I have found to ever do so! I am assuming you are talking about the vague confidentiality statement GP Practices use? I doubt you specifically talk about the Contract/QOF/CQRS and how data is used to collect QOF points, Screening targets etc that financially benefit the partners both to provide a service as well as personally re targets hit, QOF points collected. Laughable NHS claims transparency is king the reality for patients is a very different story.

Why are patients not told when undergoing a smear test that all their intimate clinical fanjo details will be placed on a national database Open Exeter and that the GPs benefit financially if they hit the targets? Why the secrecy? Where is the transparency? It is potentially unfair processing under the DPA.

Yes and every time your GP or Practice Nurse takes your blood pressure they benefit financially. In fact, every single consultation should start with a statement about the GP benefiting financially. Actually, they benefit financially by someone being on their list - they don't even have to see them - just being registered means the GP gets paid.

That's utter bollocks skiing. About getting paid very time they take a blood pressure.

No it's not. If the argument is that patients should be told that having their smear test financially benefits the GP then the same argument applies for many patients who should have their BP checked at regular intervals.

This is all a bit "Freeman of the Land", but quite entertaining!

Of course, the intimate fanjo database is now run by Capita (still currently branded as OpenExeter, though).

I think most people realise that a laboratory is involved in the process of cervical screening and that therefore the sample is going somewhere. It is of course possible to find out online how cervical screening works, down to the level of detail in the service specification if desired. The actual price is harder to find but the targets are covered in QOF guidance.

Capita - currently branded as Crapita. But that's a whole other story.

Skying-bottom line is patients need to be told as this a legal requirement under the DPA. They definitely need to be about Open Exeter fanjo database and payment in order to be able to fully consent for an intimate procedure such as a smear. I am assuming as a GP you are worried if you tell patients and get their consent they may object and you will lose out financially?

I'm not a GP.

You need to get a hobby...

Should someone in A&E have to advise you that they will get paid for looking at your broken ankle before they consent you?

Absolutely re A&E needs fair processing under DPA too for the broken ankle re SUS/HES data.

" I called countless times to be told it was in progress etc but never actually got them. "

They are legally required to provide them within a certain amount of time and if they don't you can report them to the Information Commissioner.

Yes it was those records were soles but records also shared with NHS staff. Point is if the NHS was transparent OP would not have this problem she could have chosen to go privately or not attend at all. OP records will have been sold if the information she is worried about relates to a hospital attendance. NHS Digital have no audit trail for the data they sold some records included full name, date of birth and address too.

There's nothing in the fair processing strategy which suggests healthcare providers must have directly communicated the data processing they intend to undertake before providing healthcare.

"What about "Don't really want the GP to know that my child has been in A&E 6 times in the last 3 years with suspicious injuries, so I'll just move to the next town and register elsewhere."

That would be under the child's records. The OP is talking about an adult's right to control over what is written about them.

"Say you had your appendix out aged 9. You get admitted to hospital with acute pain, aged 59? They need to know there's no appendix in there.
You had an allergic reaction to penicillin? Best not prescribe it even 30 years later."

What if you go abroad? The hospital abroad won't have access to your records. Should nobody travel then?

"AFAIK hospital doctors in the UK at least are not particularly concerned with this issue."

Agreed. British expats visiting are usually able to use the NHS even though, technically they're not entitled to as tax payers and residents elsewhere.
They're probably cracking down on that though.
Anyone who plans to stay here for 6 months is entitled to use the NHS as far as I know, regardless of taxpayer status or nationality. How they prove how long a person will really be here for I don't know.

The problem is they are not informing patients at all! Its a multi factored for an intimate examination eg smear they must get full consent. This would include details of the Open Exeter "fanjo" database. GMC guidelines are currently being updated on consent due to a recent legal case which basically says a doctor should disclose everything that may effect a patient receiving/consenting to treatment. In OP case they should have informed how her data would be shared and used. The Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board case is here. www.medicalprotection.org/uk/for-members/news/news/2015/03/20/new-judgment-on-patient-consent This is a mulifactored issue its about DPA and fair processing, consent and GMC guidance that doctors should inform patient re financial benefits. Do not forget Helen got a Parliamentary debate about her case and effectively slogged away and won on these grounds getting all her records removed/destroyed due to these issues. The NHS would love to keep these issues hidden but we keep slogging away, chipping at the edges to try to ensure patients are aware and can make their own fully informed decisions.

British expats living overseas for more than three months are entitled to 'immediately necessary' treatment from a GP as is any visitor. Anyone who is resident is entitled to register as a permanent patient on a GP list. Entitlement to secondary care is different.

"How are they supposed to get their job done knowing nothing about you each and every time they encounter you, except the specific bits you want to tell them yourself? "

The same way they would in any country without a centralised system like the NHS? Yes, it can cause complications, but this is the OP's decision.

"Can you get a set of copies under Freedom of Information Act?"

You can request a copy of your records at any time and they have to provide them within a certain timescale. You can be charged up to 50 pounds for the cost of making photocopies and sending them to you. I've considered asking for a copy of my records because I think I should know what's in them (can't remember childhood issues) and I could take them with me abroad, but I obviously don't want to pay 50 pounds.

Or you can request online access to your medical record which is free.

"everyone should be able to prove their name and address. You have to prove your ID to open a bank account"

I had huge problems opening a bank account as I was a lodger and had no bills in my name. Not everyone can prove their address in the way they may be asked to.