A rock and a hard place? Ministry of Defence | Defence News | MOD confirms loss of recruitment data

[Ian Batten]

On 18 Feb 08, at 1737, Richard Clayton wrote:

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> In article <F4C18837-7AEC-4572-9F0F-029BB9046196@batten.eu.org>, Ian
> Batten <igb@batten.eu.org> writes
>
>> As a privacy issue, the NHS can't cope.  They appear to assume that
>> anyone sat at the patients' bed with a plausible relationship is next
>> of kin.
>
> What's relevant to this list is that the computer record that is  
> created
> (for example by A&E as you first encounter the hospital) will contain
> the mobile phone number of that next of kin person (often done by  
> asking
> the patient to report who the next of kin is) -- and that data will be
> retained (many people come back to A&E again and have the same next of
> kin on the next occasion so it reduces data entry).

Who defines next of kin?  Does it mean ``someone you'd like to be  
told'', ``someone you'd like to consent on your behalf'', ``someone  
we all agree _can_ consent on your behalf'', ``someone who _will_  
consider consent on your behalf''...?

ian