NHS Interview: Confidentiality Question

GothicStirling

I have an interview with the NHS on Wednesday (internal candidate), and need a little help. I had an interview for the same role a few years back, and apparently I was pipped at the post by one question, and wondered if any other NHS employees could help me prepare a better answer.


The question was "what would you do if a patient approached you, wanting to tell you something confidential, how would you respond?" I think I responded in something like I would direct the patient to medical staff (the job role is an Assistant Cook, Band 2). To which they asked how would I handle it if the patient became more insistent. Apparently this was too weak. So how should I answer this question? Should I cite NHS confidentiality policy? Talk about an example where I have dealt with such an issue? What would be a good answer?


Thanks in advance.

LittleVoice

GothicStirling wrote: »

I have an interview with the NHS on Wednesday (internal candidate), and need a little help. I had an interview for the same role a few years back, and apparently I was pipped at the post by one question, and wondered if any other NHS employees could help me prepare a better answer.


The question was "what would you do if a patient approached you, wanting to tell you something confidential, how would you respond?" I think I responded in something like I would direct the patient to medical staff (the job role is an Assistant Cook, Band 2). To which they asked how would I handle it if the patient became more insistent. Apparently this was too weak. So how should I answer this question? Should I cite NHS confidentiality policy? Talk about an example where I have dealt with such an issue? What would be a good answer?


Thanks in advance.

Have you?


What does the policy say? Did you follow that?

elsien

There are always limits on confidentiality which you need to make clear to anyone who wants to tell you something in confidence. Do you know what your policy says about this?
Directing to medical staff is ok as a starting point. But why has the person approached you and not medical staff? So if the person was insistent, what would you do which follows NHS guidelines?

FBaby

I think what they expect you to say is that although you are bound to patient confidentiality, which means that you would be expected to keep everything you are told to yourself, there are situations when you would legally be expected to disclose the information, for instance, if there is a risk of harm or abuse, in the instance of a crime, to control infectious diseases, notification of a birth, of if there is a court order.

I think they would want you to say to the patient that if they have any issues they are concerned with, that you will inform your manager and they can speak with them.

shortcrust

I think the only time you'd direct someone to medical staff would be if they asked you something medical. Isn't it really a safeguarding question rather than a confidentiality question? What if the person had approached you to tell you they were being abused by a member of the medical staff? What if they had a medical problem that they too embarrassed to tell a male doctor about? Everyone in the NHS has safeguarding responsibilities, and that includes listening to people when they want to talk to you. Just my take, but I think the best answer would be something like:

I'd make sure they knew my role and and I would explain that they could tell me anything but that I couldn't promise to keep it to myself if I felt they were in any danger. If they told me something that suggested they might be at risk in any way I would inform my manager or a safeguarding officer. If there was no risk mentioned I would respect their confidentiality.

GothicStirling

shortcrust wrote: »

Isn't it really a safeguarding question rather than a confidentiality question? What if the person had approached you to tell you they were being abused by a member of the medical staff? What if they had a medical problem that they too embarrassed to tell a male doctor about? Everyone in the NHS has safeguarding responsibilities, and that includes listening to people when they want to talk to you. Just my take, but I think the best answer would be something like:

I never thought about it being about safeguarding. Thanks. I did download the NHS Confidentiality Policy, and see where my mistakes where.

emsywoo123

GothicStirling wrote: »

I have an interview with the NHS on Wednesday (internal candidate), and need a little help. I had an interview for the same role a few years back, and apparently I was pipped at the post by one question, and wondered if any other NHS employees could help me prepare a better answer.


The question was "what would you do if a patient approached you, wanting to tell you something confidential, how would you respond?" I think I responded in something like I would direct the patient to medical staff (the job role is an Assistant Cook, Band 2). To which they asked how would I handle it if the patient became more insistent. Apparently this was too weak. So how should I answer this question? Should I cite NHS confidentiality policy? Talk about an example where I have dealt with such an issue? What would be a good answer?


Thanks in advance.

The first time I went to work at a college, not as a lecturer, but support staff, I was asked this question in my interview (but about students), and it completely threw me.

I gave some speil (panic!) about ensuring I was fully aware and briefed of the confidentiality policy and had full safeguarding training before coming into contact with the students, as I knew this was frequently updated and I wanted to make sure my skills were up to date...:o

When I had the "is there anything you would like to ask" question asked of me at the end, I said "yes please, what is the correct procedure if a student blah blah blah" and just repeatedly the question back to them. I thought if I had cocked up the interview because of this, at least I could find out the correct answer :rotfl:

They liked my funky stylings and gave me the job. And then trained me

GothicStirling

So, if someone approached me with a safeguarding issue (i.e. suicidal thoughts), does NHS safeguarding policy then override NHS Confidentiality guidelines that I must have the patient's consent before sharing the information?

elsien

Not NHS but where I am now as soon as someone tells you they have a confidential issue you would need to interrupt them to tell them that there are some things you cannot keep to yourself. Then they have the option as to whether to to carry on telling you. The confidentiality policy should tell you when you need to pass information on.
For my organisation self harm would not be reportable, for other organisations this may be different. Check the policy.

emsywoo123

elsien wrote: »

Not NHS but where I am now as soon as someone tells you they have a confidential issue you would need to interrupt them to tell them that there are some things you cannot keep to yourself. Then they have the option as to whether to to carry on telling you. The confidentiality policy should tell you when you need to pass information on.

Same with us (again not NHS); we have to stop them, explain that we can promise discretion but not confidentiality, for their own safety, and then they have to choose what to do. Tough call when you can see something breaking them, but I cannot promise to keep secrets.

FBaby

I do agree that the question is actually very badly formulated. Confidentiality policy is about the right of patients not to see their personal information disclosed in any mean, or used unless it has a clinical purpose. It usually applies to the use of data.

The question does indeed seem to relate to safeguarding, but if that's the case, they should clarify that the patient wanted to tell you something that was highlighting a safeguarding issue, rather than confidential information.