Police Access To Nhs Records And Nhs Access To Warrant Information

[ClydeHaggis]

Hello there

I was wondering if it's possible for hospitals to know if you have an arrest warrant? Do the police ask hospital staff to call them if a certain person of interest comes in?

Kindest Regards

[Mamyalynne]

Clyde, welcome to AB - there are posters well versed in law who may see this tomorrow.

[woofgang]

I believe they have to report bullet wounds and may call the police if they feel that a patient or a situation is dangerous. I think many A and E units now have a police presences as routine on certain times and days. As private citizens, medical staff may call police if they believe they have seen some one being sought by the police but they won’t be told any more than any other member if the public.

[woofgang]

PS. The police cannot access medical records without a warrant.

[Peter Pedant]

the shortest answer is yes and yes .... BUT

//I was wondering if it's possible for hospitals to know if you have an arrest warrant?//
yeah if someone tells them - like you go in chained to a policeman. No in principle - that is there is no bat-line red phone which rings and says....

Hospital information is confidential
and doctors are chucked off the register of doctors if they go against the strict rules ( as in happening as we speak - recording a pt without consent was taken as breach of confidentiality even tho there are CCTV cameras in non pt areas in hospital. ( GMC v Dr Natalie Blakely ) )
BUT
there are various duties -
statutory duties - the hospital has to inform the police if a patient comes in with - a stab wound, explosives and terrorism I think
and under court rules
1) faced with a court order
2) subpoena'd and told to bring records

//Do the police ask hospital staff to call them if a certain person of interest comes in? //
yes they may - this happened where I worked and the staff refused ( 1990) so they staked out the hospital and waited without a warrant. and other parents complained there were a lot of plain clothes police in a childrens hospital.
we were told we would be interfering with an arrest - very bad for ones career - but no one took the point that at the time they were waiting, the future arrestee was NOT in the hospital, so it was not possible to interfere with an ....

Records are used only for names and addresses and never for details of smelly dongers or whatnot

and finally
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-44054516
where immigration officials had access to addresses

line 2 : NHS workers very unwilling as it deters sick people from attending hospital

well you did ask

[woofgang]

Its not just doctors PP, ALL NHS staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality.

[Peter Pedant]

// Its not just doctors PP, ALL NHS staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality.//

erm yes and no

Dr Blakeley established the records were transcribed by her mgt practice staff and so no confidentiality was brokedn and the tribunal wouldnt wear it...
Also they can be dismissed but not struck off ( clerks and so on )
here
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/doc-blamed-in-baby-death-must-1113501

I was able to show that various phrases in the articles had also turned up before in the medical directors letters,
and the MDs comment was an incredible:
"I am not responsible for - and cannot control what my employees say to the newspapers!"
( yes he is and yes he should, are the correct statement of the law )

[woofgang]

Yup, but what I meant is that police cannot get around the law by asking folk like hotel services or admin staff to tell them when/if a person of interest is in the hospital. Hotel services staff, of course, should not be accessing the patient record but admin, IT and so on who may legitimately need to access the patient record are bound by the same confidentiality rules as clinicians.