Depresion

[jpfirestones]

A FRIEND OF MINE HAS BEEN SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION SINCE HER SON DIED SHE JOINED A SELF HELP GROUP SUPPOTING PEOPLE WITH MILD DEPRESSION. RECENTLY SHE FOUND OUT THAT ALL HER MEDICAL RECORDS WERE ON THEIR COMPUTER ALONG WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GROUP. SHE IS RATHER WORRIED AS SHE DID NOT GIVE PERMISSION TO ANYONE TO DO SUCH A THING. CAN YOU TELL ME IF THIS IS LEGAL? THE GROUP IS A REGISTERED CHARITY, IF THAT HELPS. THANK YOU IN ANTICIPATION

[Eve]

Is there any clue as to how they even got these details in the first place?

Is it some kind of NHS linked group?

Could she have signed something giving any consent?

Just to check, are you in the UK?

[factor-fiction]

I can't see any way they would have her records unless the group is part of the NHS or she authorised access to he medical records as the NHS/doctor can't issue them without authority. Is she sure it was 'all her medical records'?

[jpfirestones]

no clues, except when she was talking in group she gave details of her medication, but was told everything was in confidence and wouldn't go any further

NOT NHS RELATED - AND NOT DOCTORS RECORDS

SHE IS IN UK AND DID NOT SIGN ANYTHING

[jackthehat]

How did she find this out?

[nailit]

how did she find out her medical records were on computer? Ive been in a non-nhs depresion group and theres no way they can access your medical records. Could have even used a false name for all they knew.

[jpfirestones]

she overheard a conversation between chairperson and treasurer

[jackthehat]

I suggest that she has misheard/misunderstood the conversation.

[factor-fiction]

So is it just details she gave of her medication rather than full medical records?
Is the information being held confidentially or does she have reason to believe not?
She could ask whether the data is held in accordance with Data Protection Act and could ask to see all records kept

[nailit]

Agree with jack.

[jpfirestones]

she did not mishear as she definitely knows that the medical information of each person is on a memory stick

[factor-fiction]

Sorry- started typing 5 minutes ago then got distracted.
I think it's probably a misunderstanding on her part but she could ask about Data Protection to see the info held to help put her mind at ease

[bednobs]

lol how do you know she did not mishear? If she had misheard, she wouldn't know she'd misheard would she?

[nailit]

It would not be medical information as in nhs records. It would be info provided by your friend.

[Eve]

Do you mean they have kept records of the info she has given in the group rather than they have access to her actual full NHS medical records?

[jpfirestones]

thank you all for your help but I will tell my friend what factor-fiction said and I hope this will be an end of it. Cheers everyone

[Peter Pedant]

I agree with FF - first stop an application under the Data Protection Act to see what info is held.

Altho your original posting says 'all her medical records' in fact she doesnt know that - all she heard was two others discussing something.

I had wondered how they had got hold of both the GP records and Hospital records, and now of course I can cease wondering because in fact we dont know. Bit of he said she said, I think. Part of the difficulty is posting for friends.

[woofgang]

With respect, could she be paranoid as well as depressed?

[joko]

it is probably just record of who you all are and why youre there... what you have told them

not full nhs stuff

[boxtops]

If her medical records had been released to a group by her GP, that would be a serious DP breach, and sounds unlikely. The best thing she can do, to clear this up, is to be up front and ask what records about her the group organisers keep on file, and why. She has a right to know what information is being stored about her, and what it could be used for.

[woofgang]

There has been discussion with patients at focus groups about how NHS records could be stored so that they could be seen by the patient and shared for the benefit of the patient. Am trying to say this as clearly and carefully as I can so as not to make matters worse. I was apart of running and recording those focus groups. One of the suggestions that kept coming up from patients is to put their NHS record on a memory stick which they could hold....maybe that was what your friend heard.