Did something terrible at work yesterday. Will I get sacked for this? NHS.

[13greentomatoes]

This is really eating away at me. I normally follow protocol and hand this particular issue over to the manager, but she wasn't around at the time. Stupid move. So angry with myself, and worried too.

A patient arrived at the clinic I was working on. His forename on the front of his casenotes didn't correspond with the forename on the system. The paperwork inside used both those forenames but on different letters etc.

He promptly showed me his UK driving licence when I asked for proof of his forename. His driving licence showed the forename that matched the one on his casenotes, which he confirmed verbally was correct. He said the forename on the system is what he is known as.

And this is where I did wrong. I changed the forename on the system to match it up. Head in hands emoticon.

I confessed to the manager what I had done, and explained why I did it, but will this be picked up by IT that I changed it?

I'm not in now until Monday. Just why did I do it???

well he did give you proof, can you double check with his GP? there must be anotehr way of double checking his correct name?
do you have an information deparmtent wher eyou work that can check another data base?

You breached protocol, but I wouldn't think it is a sackable offence. That would seem something of an extreme reaction.

I don't understand what you think you have done wrong.

We're the case notes and the system notes both relating to the same person ie him?

Or have you changed someone else's system notes?

Sounds like you really tried to do the right thing and haven't breached confidentiality or info governance rules so I can't see what you would be getting into big trouble for

If you've told your manager why are you worried about IT finding out? It's up to your manager/trust/board to make sure that you have systems in place about confirming patient identity. Surely the patients details will just have to be confirmed and records changed to reflect that? I don't think you need to be worried.

Were obvs

I very much doubt you will be sacked OP. I work in hospital and we get loads of people through who say, my given names Jack but I go as Muriel type things. The most important identifier is the NHS number anyway.

From what I understand you changed his online record from his nickname to his actual name? In my opinion that would be safer / easier to recognise and you wouldn't be able to change the name if you didn't have authorisation to, as a nurse I am allowed to see the files but not ammend them iykwim. If it was something you weren't supposed to do the worst I see is a long boring day in data protection training for you, which would be punishment enough!

There will be an audit trail of activity on the system that can be accessed but wouldn't necessarily be accessed unless a problem arose down the line (a big klaxon doesn't sound in IT when someone does something a bit off piste).

Do you have access to the NHS Spine Portal to check his details ? To check if the 'other' name is recorded there?
Did you retain his original name on the system too? Eg, lots of pts use another forename (sometimes a middle name or preferred name) and these are recorded on systems and letters but they also recorded alongside the pts birth/legal name, so that they can be found under each name.

Thanks R4, the manager normally rings the GP, but thats all I know.

Kleine, thanks, hopefully not a sacking.

I always hand these things over to management.

I feel so ashamed.

It was such a busy clinic, extremely overbooked, nurses stressed, manager really busy, and it was just another thing on top of everything else. I know thats not a good enough reason to do what I did.

Spine portal used be NSTS

As original says, people often have a given name and a known by name. Both should be clearly identified on both records to avoid confusion. All you did was to try to clarify things with the best intentions. Nothing serious has happened.

13, don't panic. You did what you thought was best and you asked for ID, where a lot of people take the patient's word for it [head in hands].
As original says, worst case scenario, you might get a chat and a refresher on pt confidentiality

Well you've already told your manager what you did, so if it needs to be remedied, it can be - other than that, I think the only thing I would have done differently is to have ADDED the other name, rather than changing it completely.

Stop panicking - you won't be sacked over this. You haven't tried to hide it.

Ah 13 don't be ashamed. Anyone can make a mistake and in the bigger picture this is a small issue. No one has suffered (apart from you!) or had their private details put on the front page of the local paper!

Use it as a learning experience as to what to do the next time this arises, which it no doubt will.

You will definitely not be sacked, let your manager know as soon as possible though.

Have a good and a breather for a moment, OP.

It's fine.

It's not a terrible thing. It's an admin thing which didn't follow procedure, but can easily be double-checked to make sure the outcome is actually correct.

There's potential for mistakes where you work which really are terrible and can change people's lives: this wasn't one of them.

you need to find out the correct procedure if this happens again.
ie. getting it in writing , and how to change and check, if this is up to you or not
but it does not sound like a sackable offence. people make all sorts of cock ups!

Thanks all for replying

Tortoise, yes, I kept his other name too.

Laughing at the klaxon bit here now , maybe I'm being a bit extreme in the worrying department, but I've never done this before.

And yes, it was to do with matching it all up for blood results etc.

Basically, all of the details are handed over to management, and they confirm with the GP etc.

Thanks all, I feel so much better

I think I went into panic mode. I felt/feel I let the dept down as well as myself.

Also, I have only been in this clinic a few weeks, having been moved from the same type of clinic in a different hospital in the Trust, to this one, as the other clinic shut down. IYSWIM.

New colleagues, new manager etc.....

If you're not supposed to be able to change this information, why does your log-on allow you to do it?

My work is a bit behind the times buit editing rights on specific fields are attached to particular log ons.

Without knowing the protocols, and whether you breached any, it doesn't sound like a massive deal, but maybe your manager might flag it in an "improving processes" kind of way with IT?

Hope you feel reassured though that it's definitely not a hanging offence!