Doctor disclosures

top_drawer_2

hello,

Please be kind. I understand child safety is paramount and that mental health issues are a dicey subject.

I have recently started training for a role with a charitible organisation which provides mentors to children who are in care; taking the child out doing activities and being a role model.

I have to have a CRB check and a medical records check which I requested to see prior to it being sent back to the organisation. I got a call today to do so and could believe what has put about me - Depression/anxiety/eating disorder/paranoid and personality disorder. I have suffered with depression and anxiety and have undergone a lot of counselling (and still do), amd am receiving CBT on the NHS. But as far as I am aware I do not have an eating disorder, nor am paranoid or have any personality disorders.

I have had many problems through my life and can relate strongly and believe I have a lot to offer to children who have such issues which may cause them to come to being in care.

I spoke to the receptionist about it and after waiting for an age the Asst Practise Manager who decided that the best course of action was to fob me off have me speak to the Doctor who has written it - this Doctor completed the form despite me addressing the form to another Doctor who I saw regularly through my illness.

I have only once met this particular Doctor regarding advice on receiving private treatment for hair removal and feel that his attitude (based on meeting him) will be that he is the Doctor and I have no right to question his authority. The manager seemed to not want to deal with it and seems to figure that she will let nature take its course and let us battle it out. I have an appointment with the Doctor in question on Tuesday and am already worried sick.

I really thought I could trust them to be honest and sensitive about my illness, the way its been described I sound dangerous - theres no way I will be allowed to volunteer with children having being described like that.

I'm sorry if the above offends in anyway, I dont mean it too.

Thanks
TD

DVardysShadow

Take a witness on Tuesday. Do not go alone. Take notes.

Before Tuesday find out the exact scope of the report requested. If you cannot do this before Tuesday, postpone the appointment until after you have checked. Do not go in half baked or alone.

Confirm with the doctor that the report you have is actually about you - deal with the possibility of a mistake before jumping in at the deep end. Ask the doctor to justify everything, line by line. If any of it is interpretation rather than strictly justified by the facts on your medical record, note it down and ask for the procedure for making a complaint.

LondonDiva

DVardysShadow wrote: »

If any of it is interpretation rather than strictly justified by the facts on your medical record, note it down and ask for the procedure for making a complaint.

Agree with what DVardysShadow has said. However, IF the appointment on Tuesday is just to discuss the content of the reference, you need to cancel asap and rebook a proper office appointment to discuss this, as the GP may (rightly) refuse to address a private administrative matter in NHS clinical time.

If (as it appears) the information request was a private, not statutory one, you will need to ask the practice for a copy of their private (not NHS) complaints procedure to follow up the content of the CRB / reference.

You could need use the NHS complaints procedure, if after meeting with them to discuss this you discover incorrect / disagree with information in your record.

kettlefish

Although it is a horrible thing to hear said about you, could it be that it was all just one "tick box" with a box to elaborate, and the doctor (as you say yourself, he doesn't know you well) has just ticked the box based on a quick scan through your records? Most doctors probably get dozens of these type of forms every month, and while I think you should get to the bottom of it, I really don't think it's anything personal!

Having worked in a GP surgery for a very short time, I know that the receptionists - who as you know aren't medically trained - were told to just send the form to the last doctor to see that patient, or to any doctor the patient is known to if the doctor was on holiday or off sick, for example.

I'm not saying either of the above reasons (excuses?) are the way things should happen, just that it does happen.

I agree you should dispute it - take someone with you, but you should be prepared to be sent away and asked to come back out of clinical hours. After all, we're all telling you to have an ally with you, and the doctor in question (who will want to cover their own a*se!!) will probably want that too!

Good luck for Tuesday, and I hope you are able to pass this medical as it certainly sounds like you'd have a lot to offer kids going through hardship!

top_drawer_2

The Assistant Practise Manager said to book an appointment to see the Doctor - so yes it is to discuss the reference. I believe the end part to be entirely untrue, but I would imagine he is going to say he's the Doctor and he has read through the medical records .... I'm not sure what my arguement can be really. He doesnt seem the type to "discuss" anything.

Scope of the reference - I have seen the form (I completed the bit re where/who to send it to. Its basic form and says something along the line has TD suffered any health problems - Yes or No. Please give details and one line is provided. He's stated the above as I've stated it.

"private administrative matter" Does this mean I am liable to pay for this? I am offering myself for voluntary work and really this should never have been a problem.

I'm not sure what the difference is between private and statutory in this context - how will the complaints procedure differ in this?

I specifically asked that the Doctor who I have seen for months, who prescribed me medication and who I continue to see regularly complete the form to avoid some clod like him doing what he has done. I actually feel that my trust has been breached by the practise.
TD

lordlazy

He won't have plucked a diagnosis from thin air! If it is on your notes then he was right to put it down on the form. Do you think he should have lied?

j.e.j.

:eek: what a nightmare! The fear of this sort of thing happening puts me off applying for any job or position where they demand to see your medical records, which imo should be private.

If you feel the doctor and receptionist are fobbing you off, try maybe putting something in writing. After all they can say anything over the phone, and my guess is that when you go to see him on Tuesday the doctor concerned wouldn't find it difficult to talk his way out of this.

The Patients Association has some info on gaining access to medical records and might be able to offer some help re. where you stand legally?

LondonDiva

top_drawer wrote: »

"private administrative matter" Does this mean I am liable to pay for this? I am offering myself for voluntary work and really this should never have been a problem.

I'm not sure what the difference is between private and statutory in this context - how will the complaints procedure differ in this?

I specifically asked that the Doctor who I have seen for months, who prescribed me medication and who I continue to see regularly complete the form to avoid some clod like him doing what he has done. I actually feel that my trust has been breached by the practise.
TD

Private, meaning that it is not covered by the NHS contract and is a private matter, meaning that a: they could have refused or b: asked you or your company for payment.

If it was private, then you would need to discuss what the practice's process is for completing such forms. Do they have a designated doctor to do all, rotate each day or allocate as the patient wishes?

Statutory: Normally DWP forms that they must complete. Even then the DWP would normally pay for the time depending on the issue.

You may have indicated a preference about who completed the form, but they are not under any obligation to agree to it, even if the form was a statutory one.


The complaints process differs as the NHS one would cover issues under the NHS contract and the practice's private process would cover complaitns about private work / goodwill.

shy-but-need-help

Is this a regular GP? If it is I would question it as diagnosis like personality disorders are made by psychiatrists, GPs usually only make referals to psychiatrists if they think you *might* meet the criteria for a mental health issue. I would question that if you've never been seen by mental health services. If you have been seen by them though I would ask to see any paperwork from your psychiatrist to the GP as it maybe that they have writen to your GP and suggested you have these things (all I get with mine is "at present your diagnosis is... but that could change depending on how you respond to treatment" so paperwork from a psychiatrist may not be relevant any longer, also it may be the case that they are dealing with counselling & helping you cope first and not giving you an official label/title to it)

I hope you get it sorted.

Sambucus_Nigra

You need to find out in that meeting whether you have ever been diagnosed with those complaints, and when and how this would have been communicated to you and what drugs or treatment was prescribed as you seem to have forgotten when you had an eating disorder, when you were paranoid and what personality order you have. You need to find out when you were referred, who you were referred to and when it was likely that you would have attended any further centres for these complaints.

Personally, I'd take my last 5 year's diaries and make sure I had them to refer to to show that you had not been to see them about this, had not been diagnosed, had not attended any further treatments and I would respectfully ask for your records to be corrected and an accurate medical record check to be sent onto the people requesting it.

milliebear00001

The doctor will almost certainly have filled in the paperwork based on what is in your notes. Obviously, these have been completed by the doctor you saw through your illness. If these are the things that your notes say, then these are the things the doctor had to put in the report.

If you disagree with the things in your report (and therefore in all likelihood, in your medical notes, then it is the doctor (ideally both the one who filled in the report, and the one most responsible for your notes during the illness) you need to talk to - the practice manager will not be able to help until you have done this, so s/he was quite right to refer you back to the GP.