Clementine Amawo on 11 May 2004 18:52
> The fact of the matter is that if the TB is of a virulent
> strain, then surely the doctors concerned would not allow the
> tenant to live in a property where he/she will come in
> contact with the every day public. So has the contractors got
> anything to worry about?
Hospitalisation is the normal route for infectious diseases considered a
danger to the public.
Although I do suppose lay opinion may differ about that.
> I am not only concerned with confidentiality issues
> surrounding this event; I am also concerned with the
> protection of those agents deployed by the organisation, as
> well as other members of staff. In my mind the contractors
> should have been informed and so should all staff on a need
> to know basis only.
Has somebody proposed that your organisation maintain an infectious disease
records of each tenant? I had thought that was a role of the medical
profession/infectious disease teams.
That additional data collection sounds like much work (duplicating the
responsibilities of the doctors), for which the organisation would probably
require its own medical opinion(cost) regarding each tenants diseases.
Unless of course the originating doctors opinion was trusted for the purpose
of the diagnosis, in which case, why is it not trusted for the
treatment/decision regarding isolation if necessary.
Given the above, the implications of justifying Principles 1,2,3,4 5 6 & 7
seem quite extraordinary. Add principle 8 if your housing database is
outsourced or processed abroad.
Ian W
> -----Original Message-----
> From: This list is for those interested in Data Protection
> issues [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Clementine Amawo
> Sent: 11 May 2004 18:52
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Sick Tenants
>
>
> As a housing organisation, we use numerous contractors within
> our numerous homes that are occupied by a variety of tenants.
> As such, can you advise from a DP point of view on what we
> are required to inform our contractors regarding potential
> infectious/non infectious diseases that a tenant has contacted.
>
> An incident has happened where a contractor was sent to a
> property occupied by a tenant who has TB. The contractor was
> not informed of this and entered the property with knowing
> about this 'diseased' tenant. Whilst within the property he
> (the contractor) was informed by the tenants care worker of
> the fact that the tenant has TB. Now the $££&$"$%^ has hit
> the fan as the contractor is arguing the fact that he was not
> told and therefore not prepared. He may end up trying to sue us.
>
> The fact of the matter is that if the TB is of a virulent
> strain, then surely the doctors concerned would not allow the
> tenant to live in a property where he/she will come in
> contact with the every day public. So has the contractors got
> anything to worry about?
>
> I did inform those concerned that the contractor (working on
> behalf of the
> organisation) should have been informed of the situation as
> it was in his best interest to know and as such the choice
> would have been his as to whether to attend or not.
>
> I am not only concerned with confidentiality issues
> surrounding this event; I am also concerned with the
> protection of those agents deployed by the organisation, as
> well as other members of staff. In my mind the contractors
> should have been informed and so should all staff on a need
> to know basis only.
>
> Help please! A speedy response will be extremely helpful.
>
> (This is a new situation for us to find ourselves in and we
> don't have a procedure for passing on this type of sensitive
> information to third parties (certainly not without the
> consent of the individual in any case). This will also have
> implications for the Trust's current Confidentiality
> policy.)
>
> Thanks
>
> Clementine Amawo
> Information Management Officer (IT)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
All archives of messages are stored permanently and are
available to the world wide web community at large at
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/data-protection.html
If you wish to leave this list please send the command
leave data-protection to [log in to unmask]
All user commands can be found at : -
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/help/commandref.htm
(all commands go to [log in to unmask] not the list please)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
