NHS Confidentiality

[Ceebeegee]

Hi,
wasn't sure whether this was the right place to post, but I'm after advice/what would you do.
My sister is law works as a healthcare provider in the NHS. Over general chit chat over sunday dinner this weekend, she casually drops in the conversation that she was filling out paperwork with a list of patients and saw that Bob (cousin to both my DH, and my sister in law) is in <name of a really specific ward>". Mother in Law replied that she didnt know Bob suffered from the illness you would have if you attended that specific ward and they start gossiping about it.

I questioned Sister in law - surely she shouldn't be sharing that information? She said I was overreacting and claimed she hadnt done anything wrong.

Would you report a breach of confidentially? Or leave it alone?
I dont work in the NHS so i dont have a clue where I would start to report it.

We're in Wales if the rules are any different here.

I feel upset on Bobs behalf, that his private health is being talked about. Mother in Law didnt know about his health condition beforehand- because Bob had chosen not to tell her!! That right to privacy has been taken away from Bob.

And on a personal level, I have gone through some embarrassing health / sexual health clinic appointments recently and would hate for Sister in Law to be looking through my notes!!

Yes I would report. That's disgraceful and your SIL should know better. There are severe consequences for staff doing this, rightfully so

This is dreadful. She absolutely needs reporting.

Completely wrong to do this - definitely report

That is a sackable offence and needs reporting. What an idiot.

(I'm assuming that she didn't have Bob's permission to share that info)

Huge breach of confidentiality and she knows it.

Ring the hospital and ask to speak with the Caldecott guardian. I work in the NHS and this is a serious disciplinary issue.

Realistically though this could cause issues in your private life. They'll know it's you I presume. If SIL loses her job you'll get the blame off her and MIL and how is your DH going to react?
Of course the right thing to do is report it but meanwhile I live in the real world, only you know if is going to screw up your family.

It needs reporting. It's really worrying that she thinks she's hasn't done anything wrong.

How well do you know Bob? Is the illness serious I would consider telling Sil that you will speaking to Bob about the incident and will be asking him whether he would like you to report if you want to try and mitigate the fall out with family.

However if I was Bob in this situation I would want you to report.

She shouldn't have done it, and it's a serious matter, but since the damage is already done, and she's your SIL, I'm not sure that reporting is the best way forwards. I do think somebody needs to tell Bob that this info is out, though.

Honestly of course it was totally wrong but I'm assuming you reporting her would implode your personal life . What does your dh think?
It's absolutely wrong but I don't think I could do that to myself .

Exactly. There really isn't any way to report this without it being really obvious that it's OP who did it.

SIL deserves to be reported, but OP will have to deal with all the fallout. The implications for OP would be huge, and most likely will cause irreparable damage to OP's relationship with in laws.

You can ask the NHS for a list of people who have viewed your medical records. I’d be doing that. In fact I intend to do that as I have numerous family members working for the NHS and a couple of nosey ones!

Serious breach of confidentiality . I am a nurse and I have looked after many people who are friends / relatives of people I know. I definitely would never say anything to anyone!
Having said that I think in your shoes I would have a very serious conversation with SIL and warn her that she is 100% in the wrong. If she still appears not to acknowledge she is wrong then I would be tempted to take it further. You need to weigh up the consequences though !

A big big no no, and she knows it. Awful.

But I'd never grass up a family member.

I'd make sure everyone there knows that SiL did wrong, and they need to protect her by pretending she didn't break Bob's confidentiality. I would also suggest SIL apologise to Bob, and throw herself on his mercy.

SIL is an idiot.

namechanged. I sometimes wonder about medical confidentiality. I have a very good friend who is a senior doctor in the NHS - occasionally she's said stuff about my health or my kids' health that makes me wonder if she might have glanced at our records!

It could just be co-incidence, or that she has a medical instinct for things, but on the flip side she is quite nosy and not really one for following rules!

I always presumed that there was a digital footprint system where it's immediately flagged if healthcare workers are looking at medical records they shouldn't be, but perhaps that would be an impossible to enforce in actuality? Does anyone know? x

There is a digital footprint which shows who has accessed digital records but hospitalS still keep written notes which are easy to read even though they are supposed to be kept in a locked trolley , I've seen them left out on the desk, in the office and an unlocked cupboard. Doctors also have meetings, reviews, case studies where they discuss patients but its supposed to be confidential.

@TraitorsGate - thanks. Re the digital footprint though, I wonder if that only really comes into play if a medic was being 'investigated', if you see what I mean? Surely it's quite easy for doctors to just glance at records if they want to?

If you are sitting next to someone who is looking at the digital record you can see them, if you deliberately access someone who you are not involved in that will show up but yes you're right, I don't know what triggers IT to look at who has accessed records, also some staff don't log off or get called away leaving records up on the screen. I'd let Bob know and see what he wants to do. Is sil a doctor or does she just have access to patients info like which ward they are on, whatever job she does it's a breach and she should know that, she would have received training and what if she does this about other family or friends.

It can be tricky for medical people to not overstep. Like - do you say to a friend that their baby looks a bit like they have a syndrome? Or tell that second cousin that they might have high cholesterol because you've noticed bits and pieces?

Your friend might just be noticing and listening to you... and picking up bits that way. A senior doctor is unlikely to have the time or inclination to go nosing in notes.