Medical records check query

[Tweep]

Hi all - legal eagle question here, hopefully someone can assist.

I work for a large company but am considering a change. During my time at the company I hit a low and went to see my doctor. I was not medicated and overcame my low however the history of that time is now on my record. What is listed in it is highly highly confidential and I would not want any employer being given access to it on both personal and confidential grounds. I am just wondering what the case is with this kind of stuff? I know a prospective employer cant ask about health but once offer is accepted some background medical checks could be looked into - is this correct/does anyone have any advice. Not sure how it affects insurance also if a prospective employer offers health insurance. Thanks in advance!

Your Medical records are a private matter and your GP is duty bound to protect all information they contain. You have to give your consent in advance to any disclosure so you will have visibility and control.

Be aware that any questionnaire of a medical nature by an employer is not going to drill down into that level of detail, they only need to know if you will require any reasonable adjustments. This is to enable them to exercise their duty of care under the Equality Act 2010. If you don’t need any reasonable adjustment (either physical or MH related, then that’s all they need to know.

If you enrol in a Health Insurance Scheme, ensure all correspondence is between you and the Insurance Provider. You should never be asked to cc your employer and they have no right to know any information. They shouldn’t ever ask, if they do you can decline - just say, “thank you I’m dealing directly with the insurance company “