GP - getting confused between two people with the same name

[MasakaBuzz]

Hi,

Just after a bit of advice on how to proceed. An acquaintance and I have the same name. We live in the same small town. However obviously have different phone numbers and addresses.

She has just received notification of a Doctors appointment that is for me. This isn’t the first time the Doctors have contacted her regarding my medical issues. On one occasion they apparently rank her up to discuss my medication and wouldn’t believe she wasn’t me. I didn’t know about it or I would have hit the roof. I have also certainly missed a blood test because they send text reminders and on one occasion I didn’t get one, so forgot.

The hairdressers has also done it, (but I am not bothered by that - it’s just irritating). However I feel very uncomfortable about the GP doing it. My medical details should not be being disclosed to what amounts to a stranger.

What can I say to them to get them to take this breach of data protection seriously and get them to put flags on both our notes?

I am sure they are breaking all sorts of data protection laws.

The outcome I want is for them not to do it again,

The gps can probably put an apart in their system, so make a complaint about a breach of confidence.

Wow I would be annoyed. I have a similar situation in that I attend Audiology and there is another woman who attends who has the same name (common first and surname) and lives on a road with almost the same name in that I live on X lane and she live on X road. The only difference is our DOB but that is similar in that we are both born in the same month. Luckily once Audiology realised this (we were both there on the same day) it has been flagged for us. So no idea how to get them to take it seriously but I feel for you. 🤷

You could add a middle initial to your name or even another middle name .might help

Contact the Practice Manager and point out that there has been a serious breach of data protection requirements which they are required to report to the Information Commissioner's Office, and ask what they will do to ensure there is no repetition.

The system we have you can put a note in the warning box "patient with same name" and hope who accesses the record actually reads it. Funnily enough we don't do it for all patients with the same names just ones where there has been a minor cock up.

what @Equanimitas said, but also that any further breaches will recieve a lot of negative publicity as you let everyone know how little they can be trusted.

Formal complaint to the practice manager about breach of confidentiality.

I work in a hospital. Before speaking to a patient we have to change name, date of birth and first line of address. Your doctors are clearly not doing this.

I have a unisex name and once went for a hospital appointment about pain in my jaw and the consultant asked how I was finding my hip replacement? He had the file of an 80 year old man open and I was a 30 year old woman. We had the same unusual name.

Thanks. I will contact the practice manager.

which they are required to report to the Information Commissioner's Office

Organisations do not have to report every single breach to the ICO. They only have to report if it is likely that the breach will lead to some form of damage to the OP. I doubt that notifying the wrong person of an appointment needs notification but discussing her medication with the wrong person may do. Regardless of whether this crosses the threshold for notification, this is a breach of GDPR and they should take it seriously.