Confidentiality Problem

Big Bag of Chips

OP, it is unclear what you are asking, or what advice you are looking for, or taking from the thread. Are you looking for advice, or just having a rant?

LegacyUser

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

OP, it is unclear what you are asking, or what advice you are looking for, or taking from the thread. Are you looking for advice, or just having a rant?

I was looking for advice. The medical professionals initially assured me that there was complete confidentiality and no way for my records to be accessed. It was implied that it was all in my head.

Clearly though, there is plenty of scope for breaches of confidentiality. Having looked at the complaints process, I know that the doctors will close ranks and deny all. At this stage, I feel that there is nothing that I can do.

As for my friend, she is a big girl. If and when she decides to open her eyes to the reality, she will have support. Currently she views him as a god, so there is nothing that I can do.

Tipperary Fairy

So Bloody Angry wrote: »

Clearly though, there is plenty of scope for breaches of confidentiality. Having looked at the complaints process, I know that the doctors will close ranks and deny all. At this stage, I feel that there is nothing that I can do.

What complaints process are you referring to? The hospital won't have doctors as part of the initial complaints process at least. And the medical councils initial triage stage has some doctors but far from all.

You sure as hell won't get anywhere without actually doing anything about it. So, yeah, it's unclear as to what you were looking for here.

LegacyUser

Tipperary Fairy wrote: »

Yeah, like I said, there's little to no point in contacting the medical council. Their triage stage will ask the doctor for his response to the accusations and he'll of course deny it. Unless there's any witnesses or evidence of wrongdoing in this type of complaint, they can't and won't do anything about it.

Like i also said the OP would probably get furthest with a written complaint to the information management head of the hospital, as he will actually interviewed on the matter, and they're more likely to have records of other similar complaints regarding him, if any exist.

Tipperary Fairy wrote: »

What complaints process are you referring to? The hospital won't have doctors as part of the initial complaints process at least. And the medical councils initial triage stage has some doctors but far from all.

You sure as hell won't get anywhere without actually doing anything about it. So, yeah, it's unclear as to what you were looking for here.

You clearly told me to forget the medical council. You also said that if I complained to the hospital 'they are more likely to have records' of a possible breach.

I feel entirely hopeless. Either way, I suspect that my right to privacy during a complaint is non existent and that they will reveal my identity to him.

Read back on the first few pages of the thread. An apparent consultant was shooting down any suggestion of it happening. Do you think that it will be any different there?

The only thing that I have learned from this is how quickly the medical profession close ranks.

Merkin

I'm still scratching my head a little at what your basis for a complaint would be. Would you be complaining vicariously on behalf of your friend and her family? Because I think it's been covered to some degree now that you can't go lodging a formal complaint about someone based on conjecture, I.e. That they may or may not be looking up your records.

Look, you clearly dislike this doctor and have a gripe with him so I'd just be staying out of his way and see your friend when she's on her own.

Tipperary Fairy

So Bloody Angry wrote: »

You clearly told me to forget the medical council. You also said that if I complained to the hospital 'they are more likely to have records' of a possible breach.

I feel entirely hopeless. Either way, I suspect that my right to privacy during a complaint is non existent and that they will reveal my identity to him.

Read back on the first few pages of the thread. An apparent consultant was shooting down any suggestion of it happening. Do you think that it will be any different there?

The only thing that I have learned from this is how quickly the medical profession close ranks.

Yeah can make a complaint anonymously but it's less likely to go anywhere as, to begin with its such a small issue, but not being able to contact you for sufficient information and to get witness statements would make it pretty much impossible to investigate.

An apparent consultant said it doesn't happen. a) that may be completely true as per the posters experience b) the poster might be some loon making everything up but why would any of that make any difference to your issue? You say you've learnt that doctors will close ranks, and no doubt that does happen as in all professions, but you have no direct experience of this so again why would this notion stop you? It seems like you were just looking to come on here and have everyone agree that it's terrible and that the doctor should be fired..... even though nobody has reported him.

Like i said, nothing will happen if you don't report it. But maybe it's just easier to say everybody's corrupt and blame everyone else.

notsoyoungwan

So Bloody Angry wrote: »

Read back on the first few pages of the thread. An apparent consultant was shooting down any suggestion of it happening. Do you think that it will be any different there?

The only thing that I have learned from this is how quickly the medical profession close ranks.

So Bloody Angry wrote: »

I was looking for advice. The medical professionals initially assured me that there was complete confidentiality and no way for my records to be accessed. It was implied that it was all in my head

I assume that's me you're referring to. I didn't "assure" you there was "no way" for your records to be accessed- what I told you was that there is no central HSE database (given that's what you in your initial post said that he had said) and told you my experience of being a doctor trying to access notes and files in various hospitals. I also stated not once but twice in my post that if he had looked at your friend's records, as he said he had, then that's a serious breach.

In relation to your accusation that he'd accessed your records and potentially others, I pointed out clearly to you that you were jumping to conclusions based on a smirk- your word, not mine. You simply have no proof, and have the smirk, the fact you don't like him and the fact he's claiming it's easy to look up records. That's it. Others here have also pointed this out to you, it's not just me. I and others attempted to give you perspective. It's interesting, particularly in the context of this discussion, how you misrepresented what I posted.


Your post about your mother's conversation with your friend's mother is further evidence in your eyes. To me, there's two things about it- one is context, what did he seem to know about her father's treatment, and is there an element of Chinese whispers here? I'm not asking you to post about her father's treatment, but rather to reflect on the possibility that when he said he worked st the local hospital your friend might have told him that her Dad attends there for treatment Y for condition X and he might have said (with the enthusiasm and bravado and naïveté of a young doctor) "condition X? He should be getting treatments Y and Z for that" and later mentioned it to her Dad, or maybe she said to her Dad in front of him, "he thinks you should ask about treatment Z etc". I don't know, I'm just saying context is important. Lastly, you've said something to your mother, who said it to your friend's mother, who said something to your mother, who said something back to you and you've posted here.... There's a chain there and it's very likely that the story has evolved a bit from its original telling, not through any malice or deliberate misleading on anyone's part, but that's human nature. The phrase Chinese whispers exists for a reason.

So, to be very clear, lest I be accused of closing ranks again or giving assurances I didn't give, I don't know if this guy did what you claim he did. You have said he said he looked at his girlfriends records- if he's telling the truth, as I said, that's a serious breach. However, he didn't say he looked at anyone else's records. You think he did for reasons that do not really hold weight. I've given some perspective on why I think he probably hasn't done what you think he's done. And now, I'm out. It looks like you've made up your mind and feel somewhat victimised by the medical community. I doubt you'll change your mind, so I won't be engaging any further with you on the matter.