The lack of respect for patient confidentiality in my case by several health workers in my locality is very concerning.  This includes a medical professional who made repeated breaches and an administrative worker employed by the local health authority, as well as two administrative workers employed by a private health care provider on contract to the local health authority.  (As previously stated, counselling notes were also deleted from my medical notes by another administrative worker when I asked for a copy of them.)

I believe that the latest breach of patient confidentiality was raised with the health authority.  Unsurprisingly, I have not been asked by them for details of this.  Therefore, the version related by the administrative worker appears to have been believed as no further action seems to have been taken.

I am not sure that correct procedures are therefore followed by this health authority.

I hope that firm action has been taken to prevent future breaches of patient confidentiality.  Although in my own case I believe that generally I have received good health care, I am concerned that my local health authority has not respected medical information as it should.  Because of this, a health symptom I have will now have to be investigated once I have moved out of the area.

Finally, I understand that improvements have been made to the conditions of one group of staff who were being targeted for raising concerns about patient care and am very glad about this.

If you are planning to have treatment in a private hospital, I would strongly advise that you question the staff closely about what guarantees will be given on patient confidentiality.  This applies whether you are going to be a private patient or are an NHS patient due to receive treatment in a private hospital.  If you are going to be a paying patient then consider getting legal advice on making patient confidentiality a term of your contract with the private hospital.

Continue reading WARNING ON “PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY” →

I complained to the healthcare provider which is currently contracted to perform certain NHS operations about the breach of confidentiality.  Below is part of the reply I received:

” . . . I can confirm that no one at [. . . . .] has ever had access to any of your counselling notes.  The medical records we have are only in relation to the consultation and treatment for your foot.  . . . We hold a tracker of any NHS notes requested from [NHS healthcare provider’s name] and this demonstrates that your NHS notes have never been ordered from them.”

Continue reading BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY – UPDATE 2 →