Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask
    stormywaters's Avatar
    stormywaters Posts: 6, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #1

    Dec 12, 2016, 06:03 PM
    help me please advice on my brother and would i be told by hospital doctors ?
    This is my 1st time on here and this my 1st question, ill try and get to the point.my brother has had cancer of the throat and after therapy he started to pick up slowly.Then in a very short time his health suffered ,he lost a lot of weight wouldn't eat.personal hygiene was neglected.his home was unhygienic.he wouldn't let anyone help or get medical help until he finally gave in.and he went to the hospital and has been kept in.
    HE had wanted to go home after being advised by nurses to stay in.so basically when he called us his family to drive him home.For his own good we refused he got mad at us was angry and very upset with us .
    When he finally saw it all made sense apart from myself ,the rest of the family were angry at him being angry with them.so they avoided seeing him.i was not at all fazed by him.
    so basically he had called each one of us and said that he was terminally ill ,he had lung cancer and had weeks left,we were devastated.i had been told that there was something wrong with his kidneys an infection.
    I wanted and needed to know a few things .how ,why etc,when I asked the nurses they said that ; they weren't able to tell me or anyone anything about my brothers health as he had asked them not to say anything.i asked one of the doctors and he said he cant go against my brothers reguest.
    so what I really need to know now is regardless of my brother asking for confidentiality.IF he was dying would the doctor at the hospital have told us it was terminal? we arebeside our selves wanting to know.HE could see our despair would he have hinted if this was the case.i have asked my brother to let them speak to me.HE said he has told them its ok to do so but he hasn't I don't want to ask him again.I have no idea why he wouldn't want to let them speak to us.would they have been able to tell us if he was terminally ill.Or at leasted have shared a little light on whats happening. sorry ive gone on and on
    Fr_Chuck's Avatar
    Fr_Chuck Posts: 81,301, Reputation: 7692
    Expert
     
    #2

    Dec 12, 2016, 07:02 PM
    No, they may not tell your anything (or should) unless the patient signs that a person is allowed to be told.

    So no they can not tell you, unless you ask him to tell
    J_9's Avatar
    J_9 Posts: 40,298, Reputation: 5646
    Expert
     
    #3

    Dec 12, 2016, 08:03 PM
    I'm sorry you and your family are going through this, but neither the doctors or nurses can discuss his medical condition with anyone without your brother's written permission.
    ScottGem's Avatar
    ScottGem Posts: 64,966, Reputation: 6056
    Computer Expert and Renaissance Man
     
    #4

    Dec 13, 2016, 04:01 AM
    You are in south Wales so I'm assuming UK laws apply. I'm not up on the UK equivalent of the US law HIPPA, but medical confidentiality laws are pretty similar. So it is probably the law that they can't discuss his condition without his consent.
    joypulv's Avatar
    joypulv Posts: 21,591, Reputation: 2941
    current pert
     
    #5

    Dec 13, 2016, 05:57 AM
    He can't just tell the staff that it's OK to talk with you. He has to SIGN a form.

Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions

 

Question Tools Search this Question
Search this Question:

Advanced Search


Check out some similar questions!

Dr. Patient relationship, disputed by patient [ 6 Answers ]

Recent visit to Dr. (in question) resulted in Dr.'s veiled threat of not covering patient under current ins program if said patient did not accept PA 's assessments of said patient condition, in plain words " if I didn't accept the PA working with said Dr. he would not accept me as a patient and...

Confidentiality? [ 1 Answers ]

I live in Arkansas. Can my gynecologist tell my parents I'm not a virgin? I'm 15.

Disclosure of a patient's name to another patient [ 2 Answers ]

Is is a violation of HIPPA law to disclose to one patient, that someone they know is also a patient of the same doctor's office?


View more questions Search