Should this happen

[Lainie71]

I have access to my online medical results etc and I was just flicking through a few days ago. I noticed that a GP, that is retired from the Surgery was recently looking at my notes/results. As far as I know he has no dealings with the surgery now seeing as he has retired. I am aware that he is still in the medical field of sorts but not at my surgery or a GP anymore. Anyone find it a bit odd, I do or is it that I am being a bit over sensitive at the moment. Heck if I am that interesting that it warrants a gorp at my notes, fair enough but I do find it a bit weird, and a little creepy

 

[filly]

I have access to my online medical results etc and I was just flicking through a few days ago. I noticed that a GP, that is retired from the Surgery was recently looking at my notes/results. As far as I know he has no dealings with the surgery now seeing as he has retired. I am aware that he is still in the medical field of sorts but not at my surgery or a GP anymore. Anyone find it a bit odd, I do or is it that I am being a bit over sensitive at the moment. Heck if I am that interesting that it warrants a gorp at my notes, fair enough but I do find it a bit weird, and a little creepy

Just a bit. Maybe he is just a bit curious.

 

[KennyA]

It depends. No-one should have access to your medical records without a valid reason.

The GP might well be doing sessional work - eg as a locum - for the surgery even though he has formally retired from full time work. Other reasons exist - research, audit and accountability, training (for others, not for this GP).

My advice would be to ask the surgery why Dr X accessed your records.They should be able to tell you.

 

[Lainie71]

It depends. No-one should have access to your medical records without a valid reason.

The GP might well be doing sessional work - eg as a locum - for the surgery even though he has formally retired from full time work. Other reasons exist - research, audit and accountability, training (for others, not for this GP).

My advice would be to ask the surgery why Dr X accessed your records.They should be able to tell you.

Thanks I think I will contact the surgery

 

[KennyA]

Thanks I think I will contact the surgery

He should not have been able to access your records except by going through the surgery's IT system and having a valid clinical log-in. If he could legitimately access the record system he would still need a valid reason for accessing your particular records.

Everyone knows that the GP patient record automatically notes who has looked at them, so it's rare these days to find anyone doing so improperly.

 

[AndBreathe]

I have access to my online medical results etc and I was just flicking through a few days ago. I noticed that a GP, that is retired from the Surgery was recently looking at my notes/results. As far as I know he has no dealings with the surgery now seeing as he has retired. I am aware that he is still in the medical field of sorts but not at my surgery or a GP anymore. Anyone find it a bit odd, I do or is it that I am being a bit over sensitive at the moment. Heck if I am that interesting that it warrants a gorp at my notes, fair enough but I do find it a bit weird, and a little creepy

On my records, when an entry is made on my records, I see the person and their classification, like Clinical Practitioner Access Role, Health Professional Access Role or Reception Access Role, as examples.

Does that help throw light at all?

 

[AndBreathe]

He should not have been able to access your records except by going through the surgery's IT system and having a valid clinical log-in. If he could legitimately access the record system he would still need a valid reason for accessing your particular records.

Everyone knows that the GP patient record automatically notes who has looked at them, so it's rare these days to find anyone doing so improperly.

Depending on how we individually manage who can see our records, all sorts of folks can access them.

For example, when I went to see my Endo privately, I took a swathe of information from y records with me. When I presented them to him for review (historic test results), he assured me he didn't need that, he'd just look in my records. I was a bit surprised.

After our appointment he instructed my GP to refer me to him under the NHS, so any raised eyebrows went away.

I was a a little bit conflicted how I felt about it, but it worked in my favour in this instance.

 

[Jaylee]

Thanks I think I will contact the surgery

Whatever you decide to do on your enquiry. Don’t forget a screenshot of the relevant info on the GP reading your patient account?

I could be wrong, but the only appropriate time for any HCP to peruse patient records is during or leading upto a consultation?
Another thought came to me… (as I post this.) Are you sure a current GP hasn’t accessed your retired GP notes?

 

[KennyA]

Depending on how we individually manage who can see our records, all sorts of folks can access them.

For example, when I went to see my Endo privately, I took a swathe of information from y records with me. When I presented them to him for review (historic test results), he assured me he didn't need that, he'd just look in my records. I was a bit surprised.

After our appointment he instructed my GP to refer me to him under the NHS, so any raised eyebrows went away.

I was a a little bit conflicted how I felt about it, but it worked in my favour in this instance.

Yes, that's entirely possible because many parts of the UK (including where I live) now run the GP patient record on a shared access system. Technically all patient records belong to the Secretary of State for Health.

It's still the case that any access to the record has to be for a valid reason. Best practice is for the patient to give explicit consent - which can be as simple as " you OK if I look at your GP notes?".

 

[Resurgam]

I was wondering if it was some sort of research - trawling through patients with certain features and looking for a possible connection with one or two other factors.
Although files are on a PC they are not always completely searchable digitally and it might be faster to get a Human to go through all the patients who are or have A, B, C which can be found, to see if there is also D and E in their profile.

 

[lovinglife]

Don’t know if you’ve seen this @Lainie71 or how useful it is to you

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/pat-guid-clr-your-gp-record-bw.pdf

And if you choose to opt out of sharing your records

National data opt-out - NHS England Digital

The national data opt-out is a service that allows patients to opt out of their confidential patient information being used for research and planning.

digital.nhs.uk

 

[Lainie71]

Don’t know if you’ve seen this @Lainie71 or how useful it is to you

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/pat-guid-clr-your-gp-record-bw.pdf

And if you choose to opt out of sharing your records

National data opt-out - NHS England Digital

The national data opt-out is a service that allows patients to opt out of their confidential patient information being used for research and planning.

digital.nhs.uk

Thanks for the info. I am a bit hesitant to contact the surgery as they haven't been so forth coming with other stuff in the past. However, I am still creeped out by it a bit. This was recent, only a month ago when its flagged up on my list of who's been accessing. When I worked for a hospital I had access to peoples notes to register patients, admit, transfer etc. We had at the time free range so to speak but I certainly didn't just get curious and search for X or Y. I know of one person that used to just search for the hell of it, I am talking many years ago by the way. I feel like I am a bit of a project at my surgery sometimes and I think that's another reason why I am a bit narked about it. I have no problem with anyone in the medical field looking at my notes if it helps my care, but this feels uncomfortable. I am going to sleep on it and see how I feel in a few days but will take a screen shot in the mean time.

 

[Lainie71]

Whatever you decide to do on your enquiry. Don’t forget a screenshot of the relevant info on the GP reading your patient account?

I could be wrong, but the only appropriate time for any HCP to peruse patient records is during or leading upto a consultation?
Another thought came to me… (as I post this.) Are you sure a current GP hasn’t accessed your retired GP notes?

Hia Jaylee, but why would he have accessed my retired GP notes if he doesn't work there any more it still wrong, isn't it.........

 

[KennyA]

Hia Jaylee, but why would he have accessed my retired GP notes if he doesn't work there any more it still wrong, isn't it.........

There are a whole raft of appropriate reasons for records to be accessed apart from leading up to or during a consultation - audit, accountability, training, research etc.

If a current GP is identified by the system as the retired GP, that would mean the curent GP is logged in using the retired GP's login. Which would not be the right thing to do.

I still think it's most probable the retired GP is doing a bit of locuming at the practice and has accessed the notes legitimately. But you won't know unless you ask.

 

[AndBreathe]

Yes, that's entirely possible because many parts of the UK (including where I live) now run the GP patient record on a shared access system. Technically all patient records belong to the Secretary of State for Health.

It's still the case that any access to the record has to be for a valid reason. Best practice is for the patient to give explicit consent - which can be as simple as " you OK if I look at your GP notes?".

I totally agree on the valid reason. Even under data protection that is the case for any documentation.

 

[AndBreathe]

Hia Jaylee, but why would he have accessed my retired GP notes if he doesn't work there any more it still wrong, isn't it.........

A few years ago, the two senior partners at our surgery "retired". One retired properly, and went about living some adventures, and the other who was a long-standing lecturer at the nearby Uni, went full-time into teaching.

Depending on how you have set your access permissions, and what your old GP is doing these days, it could be a very valid reason.

When you enquire with your surgery, I'd urge a gentle inquiry, at least in the first instance, but before you do that, please do take a screen shot of your evidence, because, just like posts on here, your records can be amended historically, and appear different when read.

Hopefully, it'll all become clear quickly.

 

[daffy1]

I’m probably being very stupid here but how would you know if anyone has looked at your notes. The only access I have to my notes is thru the NHS app but that gives very minimal information. Tho I must admit since looking at this I’ve found out that I have liver and kidney damage which I didn’t know about. But do doctors have access to your notes thru the nhs app or have you asked for more detailed information

 

[KennyA]

I’m probably being very stupid here but how would you know if anyone has looked at your notes. The only access I have to my notes is thru the NHS app but that gives very minimal information. Tho I must admit since looking at this I’ve found out that I have liver and kidney damage which I didn’t know about. But do doctors have access to your notes thru the nhs app or have you asked for more detailed informatio

Most practices (it might by now be all) use IT systems to record patient notes, rather than the old handwritten system. Part of the requirement for these systems is a means of recording who has accessed them, and who has made an entry or amended them. This was introduced because of the Shipman case. One of the things that Shipman did was to go back into patients' records and retrospectively amend them. He didn't realise that this would be visible, if looked for. As a result of the case, a lot of the record guidelines were overhauled.

Your family doctor keeps your notes, and will use them to check for things like whether you've had a previous bad reaction to a particular drug. In many places there is an agreement in the local NHS for other NHS organisations - like the local A&E - to be able to access those records thorugh a common IT system.

This means that if a patient is (eg) brought unconscious into A&E at 1am on a Sunday morning over a bank holiday weekend, the A&E doctors on duty can see the up to date GP record, without having to wait until the practice opens on Tuesday.

 

[daffy1]

Most practices (it might by now be all) use IT systems to record patient notes, rather than the old handwritten system. Part of the requirement for these systems is a means of recording who has accessed them, and who has made an entry or amended them. This was introduced because of the Shipman case. One of the things that Shipman did was to go back into patients' records and retrospectively amend them. He didn't realise that this would be visible, if looked for. As a result of the case, a lot of the record guidelines were overhauled.

Your family doctor keeps your notes, and will use them to check for things like whether you've had a previous bad reaction to a particular drug. In many places there is an agreement in the local NHS for other NHS organisations - like the local A&E - to be able to access those records thorugh a common IT system.

This means that if a patient is (eg) brought unconscious into A&E at 1am on a Sunday morning over a bank holiday weekend, the A&E doctors on duty can see the up to date GP record, without having to wait until the practice opens on Tuesday.

Thanks for that I was just puzzled thinking it would show on the nhs app. It makes sense that if your notes are being amended or viewed you know who’s done it