My “friend” looked at my medical record.. Question for anyone who works in a NHS hospital

[AdviceNeeded3282]

As the title says. A friend of mine who works as an admin in the back office of a hospital has access to patient medical records/information. One night out she openly admitted that she has looked through people’s medical records?!?! (My guess is it’s all computerised). I was gob smacked to say the least. She found it funny/said it was interesting then realised I was angry. She openly admitted she has looked at all of our (close friends) records. My guess she has looked at my DH’s and anyone she is friends with? Anyhow about 2 years ago I went to my GP as I was suffering with depression which I told NO ONE about. This was at my doctors, not my hospital. Are all the systems linked ???? I do not want her knowing my private business like this. Before you say you should report her, I am not going down that road.

Thank you for all your answers. As I said, I probably will not report her as I don’t want her to loose her job, but then again she doesn’t deserve to be put in a trustable position like this. She openly admitted it in front of a small group - I suppose for those who do have nothing on their record it’s fine. I do though. Just feel ashamed to be honest

She openly admitted it in front of a small group - I suppose for those who do have nothing on their record it’s fine

No-it’s never fine. Nothing gives her the right to look at personal information.

Please reconsider. This needs reporting.

You have nothing to be ashamed about.

She on the other hand...

Mof3K - thank you so much you have hit the nail on the head.

Then I'm sorry OP but you are no better than she is. If you also worked for the NHS and didn't report it you would be just as culpable and would also fsce misconduct action. You know someone is abusing their position and accessing sensitive information about people she knows, potentially telling god knows who, and you are just going to let it slide. Sorry but that's apalling.

If i look at my own record or any of my family's record i can be subjected to disciplinary procedures.People have been sacked for similar offences.
They do random audits to see who is accessing records and if someone is found to be randomly accessing confidential information they can be in a lot of trouble.

I used to work in a surgery many years ago and this would get you sacked on the spot. Please report your "friend". Her conduct is inexcusable.

Report her. She should not be in that job.

I'll be my bottom dollar OP that you aren't the only one in your group of friends to have some form of depression/anxiety/stress on your GP notes. It really is far more common than you think - and nothing to be ashamed of. Your friends are either nuts or bluffing to be so seemingly unconcerned about their medical privacy.

They would prove it because the systems have trackers on them, the time, date and the person accessing the record can be traced. I work in the NHS and it is drummed into us how totally unacceptable this is. You are told time and time again you do not access records you do not have the right to access.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-suffolk-44155784
If it's good enough for Ed then it's good enough for every one

Its not fine and there is nothing more to be ashamed of in depression than an ingrown toenail - it is still your private business.

It is unlikely she could access your GP notes, although on occasions GPs do attach a full history to referrals.

If she has accessed digital notes, then the IT team can audit who has accessed your records. She would be disciplined/sacked and tbh she should be, she is not responsible enough for this role.

Yes she could get sacked for good reason. But by not reporting you’re essentially supporting what she’s doing. She deserves to lose her job.

I’ve worked in a prison and could access GP records. However every time you enter the system it leaves a mark and there are random audits undertaken.

Hopefully some kind of audit will pick her up. I think it’s pretty poor that you’re not going to report this. It’s gross misconduct and a sackable offence.

This happened to me by a very close friend many years ago. I was livid and very embarrassed as I had been through severe depression and had other issues. I didn't report her however the friendship ended very quickly after .

I know where I live CAMHS (and I think other psychiatric records) are held on a secure system that automatically records the time and name of the member of staff every time someone accesses a patient record. If you don't have a legitimate reason for accessing a record you would be in big trouble.

You really need to report this woman. She should not be in her job. It's not safe or ethical.

Now that you have been told, you need to report this or you are complicit in the deception. What she's doing is completely wrong and she should lose her job.

How would you even go about reporting it anonymously? I’m unsure what she exactly has to do, I think she has to put file notes on the system after they’ve come into the hospital? I’m unsure to be honest. She said she sees a lot though - like details of sexual assault etc so this makes me question how much she has access to.

If your friend has accessed electronic patient records their will be a way of finding out which records she has looked at and when. Please report this, it is a clear breach of trust and very serious. I would be appalled to find that my records had been accessed because someone was curious.

Shame on you for not reporting her. What she is doing is reprehensible and could cause untold damage. You think a person with her lack of character wouldn't gossip about information she's accessed? She is a shit person and she's no friend.

I work in a hospital and can access GP prescribing records - only for medicines which are on repeat or one off items which were prescribed in the past six months. I needed to go through IT and get extra access granted so your friend might not have that access if it is not needed for her job.
Everything we look at is recorded and my trust have recently installed something which is designed to catch people looking at records without permission, whereas up until now they would have to look at records/users individually (maybe in response to a complaint etc, have no idea as don't know anyone daft enough to do it)

You have nothing to be ashamed of, but you have the right to privacy. Your gp system and hospital system are not linked (that's why the hospital has to send blood results for example to the gp surgery) so she will not know about your visits to the gp.

However, what she has done is absolutely outrageous and it's not something everyone does. There are really clear guidelines about this and she will have left a digital footprint that can be traced. So you can wait and see if she gets caught (she might never) or you can anonymously report her. I'm not saying that lightly but honestly she shouldn't have access to that information, she's misusing it and also shes using time in which she should probably be doing some actual work. I would report her.

I genuinely believe it’s more common than we think.

I genuinely believe it’s more common than we think.

So help stop it.

Do the right thing and report your “friend”.

In terms of reporting it, you could look up the name of the caldicott guardian for that trust. Or you could send something care of the chief exec?