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Case ref:201302512
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Date:March 2014
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Body:Lothian NHS Board
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Sector:Health
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Outcome:Not upheld, no recommendations
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Subject:communication, staff attitude, dignity, confidentiality
Summary
Mr C and his mother (Mrs A) received a visit from two community psychiatric nurses (CPNs) who assessed his and his mother's needs. At the end of the interview they mentioned that the results might be shared with colleagues in the social work department. Mr C was at that time involved in a dispute with that department about guardianship of his mother and was concerned that the information obtained might be used against him. He contacted the CPNs shortly after the assessment and said that he would not allow disclosure of the information without his permission. He complained to the board that the CPNs had not been open with him at the start of the assessment that information would be shared with the department to be considered as part of the application for guardianship.
We did not, however, uphold Mr C's complaint. Our investigation found that a consultant psychiatrist had asked the CPNs to carry out the assessment to establish if Mrs A had any health or social care needs, and not as part of the guardianship application.