Thursday 11 March 2010

When ‘Straightforward’ Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means….

Patients’ confidential medical records are being placed on a controversial NHS database without their knowledge, doctors’ leaders have warned.
I won’t go into the mendacity and creeping authoritarian nature of this action, because Obo and Constantly Furious have done that beautifully.

But I did like this diabolical little wrinkle:
The BMA also criticises the fact that the information packs do not include the form which allows patients to opt out. It can only be obtained via the internet or by calling a helpline.
Sounds like something out of ‘Catch 22’, yes?
A spokesman for the Department of Health said that ministers "absolutely support" the right of patients to opt out of the scheme, adding that various options were provided to make this straightforward.
FAIL!
at

3 comments:

  1. Dave H11 March 2010 at 13:33

    At least credit them for making the website link to the form as brief as possible.

    http://www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/systemsandservices/scr/staff/aboutscr/comms/pip/noscr.pdf

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  2. Umbongo11 March 2010 at 17:11

    DaveH

    To be fair to the NHS, the opt-out site given in my call-up papers was the simpler www.london.nhs.uk/noscr.

    BTW, it gave a lift to my day to see (in the letter from Tracy Baldwin, Chief Executive of the vibrant and diverse NHS Haringey) that "leaflets in other languages" are available.

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  3. JuliaM12 March 2010 at 05:32

    "At least credit them for making the website link to the form as brief as possible."

    Lol!

    "...it gave a lift to my day to see (in the letter from Tracy Baldwin, Chief Executive of the vibrant and diverse NHS Haringey) that "leaflets in other languages" are available."

    Unfortunately, not 'non-bureacratese'...

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