Patient Preferences: Requesting Specific Clinician and Medical Record Access Restrictions

At our practice, we respect your preferences regarding who you see for your care and who can access your medical records. Please read the following information on how to make these requests:

1. Requesting NOT to See a Specific Clinician

If you prefer not to be seen by a particular clinician, please inform our reception team each time you book an appointment.

This preference will not be stored as an automatic alert in our system.

If your preferred clinician is unavailable, you have the option to:

• Accept an available clinician if your concern is urgent, or
• Wait until your preferred clinician is available for non-urgent matters.

2. Restricting Access to Your Medical Records

We take patient confidentiality seriously. If you wish to restrict access to your medical records from specific staff members, the following rules apply:

• Family members who work at our practice: If you have a direct family relationship with any of our staff (clinical or non-clinical), their access to your records will be automatically restricted.
• Other personal relationships with staff: If you have a personal relationship with a staff member and wish to restrict their access, you must provide a written and signed consent form before restrictions can be applied.
• All requests for record access restrictions will be carefully reviewed in line with confidentiality and data protection policies.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact our reception team.

Potential Risks of Specific Staff Preferences and Access Restrictions

While we are committed to respecting your preferences, it’s important to understand that certain requests regarding specific staff members and restrictions on medical records can present potential risks to your care and treatment. Please read the following considerations carefully:

1. Requesting NOT to See a Specific Clinician

When a patient requests not to see a particular clinician, it is important to consider the following:

• Availability of Alternative Clinicians: If your preferred clinician is unavailable, we may NOT always be able to accommodate your request at the specific time you need care. In such cases, you might have to wait for your preferred clinician or see another clinician who may not be familiar with your medical history. This could result in delays in treatment, especially for non-urgent matters.

• Impact on Continuity of Care: Consistent care from the same clinician can provide better continuity, meaning they will be more familiar with your medical history and treatment needs. Frequently changing clinicians could disrupt this continuity and may affect the quality of care you receive.

2. Restricting Access to Medical Records from Specific Staff

Patients may also request that certain staff members, especially those with personal or family relationships, do not have access to their medical records. Here are some potential risks and impacts of such requests:

• Limited Access to Information: By restricting access to medical records for specific staff, there may be delays in providing timely and comprehensive care. For example, if a clinician who is familiar with your medical history is not allowed access to your records, they might not have all the relevant information to make informed decisions about your care. This can affect the accuracy and speed of diagnosis and treatment.

• Increased Administrative Complexity: Applying access restrictions requires administrative oversight to ensure compliance with your requests. This process can add complexity and administrative burden, potentially leading to delays in accessing care or issues with record-keeping that could affect your treatment.

• Possible Misunderstandings or Delays in Care: In some cases, staff who are restricted from viewing medical records may not be aware of important details, such as allergies, previous treatments, or ongoing conditions. This could lead to miscommunication or unnecessary delays in treatment.

Balancing Privacy and Effective Care

While we respect your rights to privacy and confidentiality, it’s important to weigh these preferences against the need for effective and timely medical care. Our staff is trained to follow all data protection and confidentiality regulations, so any restrictions will be carefully evaluated to ensure they do not compromise your health and well-being.

We encourage you to discuss any concerns or specific requests with our team, so we can work together to find the best approach to meet your needs while ensuring safe and effective care.