AudiLover

Other than insurance companies, who else has access to my health records. Do employers have access or request access to them?

Say if you filled out a medical questionnaire for a job is there anyway they can follow it up to check the accuracy of it?

GaryK

I have AL, and looking here it says you have a penchant for labradors, like dressing up in fishnet stockings and have escaped from three mental institutions.

lpski1

Those recurring spots you have will be with you all your life

TopBanana

What makes you think insurance companies have access? Noone has access unless you allow them.

AudiLover

I see I thought life insurance companies had automatic access.

Apparition

Nope...YOU have to give permission.
Your notes after all.
Yve

urban

iTrader: (1)

You'd be surprised what happens in the doctors practice.

I used to do work with a product which they used to record your previous problems/treatments and general notes etc.

These notes used to get regulary sold to pharmaceutical - your name and address details were removed, but the patient numbers were still attached!

Don't know if they still do this, but I'd imagine so.

Shaun

mad_dr

Not in mine, mate! Your notes are kept absolutely confidential and the only people who can see them are you and me and people who are explicitly authorised to see them (surgeons/doctors in the event of an emergency etc)!

We certainly don't release them to the likes of an insurance company!

OP: You can sleep easy now (and lie on whatever forms you were filling in before you posted!

RMA26

Not without your written permission, it contravenes the Data Protection Act

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

And the Hippocratic oath.

TopBanana

Not 100% sure but I don't think this is routinely sworn any more

gaz-cole

if you sign the form giving permission to that specific company they can request your notes for example 5 years down the line if they want to, but they are not allowed to pass the details on to say your employer without you further signing another declaration but once you signed the form you have signed it!

TopBanana

Your right to withdraw consent is protected by the data protection act.

kend

If you fill out a form for an employer, they can't have access to your medical records without your permission.
If you give permission they can write to your GP and ask for a report. You may ask to see this report before your doc sends it - although you can't ask for it to be laterted unless it is factually inaccurate. If you refuse to let your employer ask for a report, they are allowed to draw their own conclusions.

Of a bit more concern is giving lawyers permission to see your notes for personal injury claims and such, in these cases the consent relates to your entire medical record, from the date you were born, regardless of whether it's relevant, the solicitor will simply be sent a complete copy of your notes, whioch he /she must also provide to the other side.

Leslie

Like other conventions these days, the Hippocratic oath is losing its authority for the sake of convenience.

Les

^Qwerty^

With "open" NHS networks, who knows?

I reported what I found some time ago about a site in Yorkshire, but nothing has been done, and the network still remains open for anybody to abuse.

At minimum it is possible to pull names and addresses of patients, not sure what else as I'd seen enough already.