David Lock

I am registered with a quite decent modern surgery.

It would be quite useful if I could send the odd message by e-mail and, I would have thought, possibly save my GP some time.

But they won't accept e-mails saying they could be at risk if they missed a message or similar. Seems bollocks to me and I would be quite happy to sign a disclaimer covering their backs if that would help.

Obviously I would not be seeking some kind of Internet diagnosis on some mystery medical condition, just the occasional query such as a minor change to a repeat subscription for example.

As it happens I need regular blood tests and the hospital mail me the results the same day which works very well.

So will your GP get the keyboard out?

Cheers, David

Midlife......

iTrader: (2)

There are patient confidentiality difficulties with using e-mail. I am only allowed to use e-mails which contain patient identifiable data from one NHS e-mail address to another NHS e-mail address and both must have an NHS.net suffix (which is meant to be secure)

Shaun

Coffin Dodger

Thought there were some issues with patient confidentiality rules especially as most email is sent "in the clear" i.e. unencrypted so anybody can snoop on it. Therefore you'd want the data encrypted so both you and the GP would need the relevant software and to share the encryption key.

Far too complicated for the NHS IT infrastructure to manage

Written mail is actually a lot harder to tamper with without it being evident

urban

iTrader: (1)

I'd imagine your GP is far too busy to be spending time reading emails - most of which are more than likely garbage/spam or just won't make sense.

My surgery will allow me to book my own appointments etc if I wish.

Avi

I have to deal with this daily. When other trusts request information, but they don;t have an NHS.net email address. They get all shirty when i say we can;t send to their standard nhs.uk addresses. We;ve also banned faxes, and anything on removable media (Cds / USB) must be fully encrypted.

Discussing medical details with a patient over email isa huge no no!

john banks

It is also another route of communications to monitor.

Presently (not today, I do other work on a Wednesday) I am simultaneously juggling patients coming in with pre-booked appointments, patients walking in with emergencies, emergency house calls, pre-booked house calls, a document system that brings results/letters/patient requests and what is now effectively an all day phone in/phone back system for queries, as well as written communications that are not directly patient related which are still dealt with on paper, plus telephone interruptions, nurse and occasional phlebotomist interruptions. It is already difficult enough to prioritise.

I was offered an nhs.net email address which I do not use because it is yet another route to monitor. The practice manager has such an address and alerts me to anything I need to know about or action.

David Lock

Thanks.

1) So how come Worthing Hospital are allowed to send me regular mail to my personal e-mail address which contains test results

2) Why can't I give someone a signed bit of paper that states that I couldn't give a monkeys about my patient information coming to me?

??

David

john banks

1. Maybe they need to review their security. Normal email is not a secure means by which to send confidential patient information.

2. Disclaimers don't seem to be enough in a modern nanny state.

David Lock

If you want to give me a heart attack John, just mention the nanny state. Bring back Guy Fawkes I say.

Just off tack for a moment. My daughter took the summer off to travel around S America. She planned to use her Barclaycard to draw cash over there and had phoned them in good time before she went, to tell them her plans.

One Sunday evening I took a call from her (she had borrowed a phone) to say that she had arrived in some town but had spent all her local money in getting there. She needed a hotel for the night but that all the hole-in-the-walls had declined her card although she knew she had plenty of credit. I promptly phoned BCard and asked for help. Point blank they refused to advise me on the back of the client confidentiality laws. I explained she was in tears and I was worried about her being alone in a strange town on a park bench. They said she would have to phone them. I lost it with them that night as any father would. Nanny effing state - aaarrrggg

d

john banks

Same as when people use the Data Protection Act as an excuse for being incompetent/unhelpful.

oldsplice

Yeah, and the government still think you're not working enough hours!



Repeat prescriptions can be ordered by email at our surgery and we can book appointments via Emis online.

michaelro

1. They definitely do need to review their security - Sending that information unsecured is a serious issue.

2. While I can agree with your intent, how could this actually work logistically for 60 million+ people...

john banks

We've asked for EMIS but they won't give it to us without a load of fuss.

oldsplice

Don't you use it for coding and summarising?

john banks

We use a horrible Scottish Office product called GPASS. It is rubbish, slow and unreliable, and it doesn't do half of what EMIS did 10 years ago.

thesyn

You forgot C and B

oldsplice

Sounds like me!


Thesyn.........you mean Choose and Book?

thesyn

Sorry, yes choose and book!

David Lock

Well I still don't see why I can't get the information I want if I authorise it. What right have they got to refuse? It's my information after all.

I'll take my chances with security and if someone hacks in and nicks my diabetes, well good luck to them

dl

john banks

"Your" NHS medical records are actually the property of the Secretary of State.

_Meridian_

iTrader: (1)

Because they have no value in law and are thus meaningless. This has been true for decades. You cannot sign away any rights you might have.


M