Doctors letter disclosing to much

[baldy1926]

My other half had a letter from her GP this morning.
The address on the front of the letter included a few more details than normal.
They had printed off her full name, nhs number, mobile phone number, dob and her gps name.
Luckily there was not enough space on the label to include any medical details.
I'm just waiting for an explanation from the surgery.
I take it a whinge at the surgery is in order

[weeboot]

Suggest to them that they may wish to amend things.
Whining and whinging will get you nowhere.

/thread

[Petrus1983]

Surely a simple suggestion to amend things is all that's needed?

[anonymous-user]

That should not happen and is a breach of confidentiality that the practice will take seriously. Doctors are not even supposed to confirm that an individual is a patient - we even got hauled up for having our surgery name on the franking machine.
That said it is almost certainly a computer based admin oversight so tackle accordingly, rather than go in guns blazing.
Practice manager best point of contact.

[williamp]

You could go for some compo:

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data...

But as its public sector- and the sainted HMS at that you wont get very far. They will learn lessons, and move on.

[ArmyMedic2012]

Quiet word with practice manager, express how unhappy you are with whats happened and state patient confidentiality. We would get hauled over the coals in the military if that happened!

[baldy1926]

I was just going to send an email to the practice just so the complaint is logged

[weeboot]

williamp said:

You could go for some compo:

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data...

But as its public sector- and the sainted HMS at that you wont get very far. They will learn lessons, and move on.

Compo? Behave.

[The Surveyor]

baldy1926 said:

I was just going to send an email to the practice just so the complaint is logged

Phone them. You already have the letter so what needs to be 'logged' and what do you hope to achieve that can't be done over the phone?

[Drumroll]

Actually if the OP is so concerned (and rightly so) it should actually be his wife who complains. Saves the we can't discuss it with you sir Data Protection and all that.

[tapereel]

baldy1926 said:

I was just going to send an email to the practice just so the complaint is logged

Why not emai a photograph of the letter as it was received and suggest that the surgery should make a change to prevent it happening again to your wife and others.
I'm sure they would be mighty pleased to receive the help from you.