Letter from hospital - is this a privacy breach?

[blackemerald1]

Sounds like a very decent plan imo :)
I really would have expected after one month that you would be in their system whether they do it online or via hard copy.

 

[barefoot]

A data protection breach doesn’t mean they had to have had intent to breach it @Franz.

They have sent me someone else’s information. So, they have breached data protection regulations as they have not kept that person’s data secure.

That’s my understanding.

 

[barefoot]

I think you were probably right @Sandstone re the address mix up thing.
I just phoned the hospital again and they confirmed they don’t have a referral for me - nor for the man my letter was addressed to. We both have a record on the system and both records have my address on them :rolleyes:

So, I still can’t make an appointment.

Woman I spoke to just now said she was going to email her manager who would call me back today. If she doesn’t I’m going to get onto PALS tomorrow. I just called my GP surgery and the secretary confirmed that my referral was sent to the hospital a month ago, so they definitely should have it but they clearly don’t for some reason as two different people have now told me there isn’t one there for me.

If the hospital contacts the GP secretary, she said she can easily email the referral across to them. But then I’d want assurances that they would treat the referral as though it came through a month ago, not just right now, as I have already waited a month for nothing.

Grr! I find dealing with doctors and hospitals so stressful!

 

[Sandstone]

Clearly they do have a referral, as that started the process. Whoever made a pigs ear of adding your referral onto the system has also misplaced it. Keep insisting they should use the correct start date. If you get no help from the manager it is certainly time to enquire about their complaints procedure.

 

[barefoot]

Well, exactly...if they didn’t receive a referral, how do I have a record there?!

Predictably, no one called me back today. So, that’s twice I’ve called, twice someone said they would speak to the manager who would call me back and twice that no one has.

I may call again tomorrow and get a bit firmer and ask to speak to the manager. Or I might just contact PALS. Or I might just forget the whole bloody thing!

 

[Sandstone]

You should be able to email PALS. I'd find it easier than phoning.

 

[barefoot]

That’s good to know @Sandstone thanks - yes, I’d find emailing easier than phoning too.
I haven’t been able to face doing anything about it today but will try tomorrow.

 

[barefoot]

I wrote an email to send to PALS then thought I’d give the department one more try. I phoned them today and had to explain all this again to someone new. She then called me back within the hour having spoken to her manager, worked out what had happened with the data/identity mix up and found my referral. She apologised, said the manager will be looking into it as the error shouldn’t have happened and I now have an appointment booked.
Praise be! I will still get in touch in writing about the data breach but I am pleased that I have an appointment booked now.

Thanks for the help - especially @Suzetig and @Sandstone

 

[Abstract]

Amazing! So glad for you @barefoot It all sounds very stressful. Well done for working through it. I also lose all ability to think when really stressed. :rolleyes: