Hi
Is it okay for the therapist to take such details of a patient as their home address and the name of their GP? Just checking.
I have never heard of any regulations in the UK giving them such a right.

Thanks
R

Hi, I am from across the pond in Ireland and these questions are pretty standard here. Therapists ask for their records and in case they need to contact your gp.

[Elio]

Those seem pretty standard in my parts of the world, NW USA.

[Argonautomobile]

Those don't strike me as strange questions at all, but you've certainly got the right not to answer. I can understand why one might not want to.

OK, thank you all. Not against it if that is common practice.

SW USA it's normal too.

I am in the US and none of my private practice therapists asked for any personal information. I imagine if they are part of a clinic, asking for that sort of info is normal, just like with other medical providers. You can ask why that info is needed.

[growlycat]

Yup. In the USA there is an entire intake form of intrusive questions.

[Pink poppy]

Originally Posted by r2d45

OK, thank you all. Not against it if that is common practice.

I am in the UK and have not been asked for that info by my therapist

[stopdog]

I have had some ask and some not. I simply don't answer questions if I don't think they need to know the answer

[newtus]

In south usa here. I goto a clinic not a private practice and been asked that

[Pain94]

Yep Standard Questions

[LonesomeTonight]

In private practice in the US and was asked that.

[atisketatasket]

All four of my private practice therapists have wanted the address, and at least one the PCP.

[stopdog]

It would do them no good to ask me about mds - I truly do not use them.

[velcro003]

My intake form (private therapist in the US) asked my GP's name (which i readily gave, bc my GP was the person to urge me to go to therapy), and other questions. She said it was fine to leave blank whatever I did not want to answer.

[Wonderfalls]

I've found that it depends totally on your therapist. I've been glad my psychiatrist/therapist had information because he's contacted my gp for me in an emergency.

[kecanoe]

I see/have seen private practice ts, they all definitely wanted my address. I suppose I could have refused, but I was ok with it. At least some of them, if not all, have asked for GP contact info. I have given that info, but have not given them permission to contact my GP. I don't give any of them permission to talk to one another without me present.

[ScarletPimpernel]

I think they want your address in case of an emergency. But those are all standard questions. I had a T once ask for my car make, model, color, and license plate! I refused that one.

[atisketatasket]

Originally Posted by ScarletPimpernel

I think they want your address in case of an emergency. But those are all standard questions. I had a T once ask for my car make, model, color, and license plate! I refused that one.

I bet she was a stringer for a ring of car thieves.

[chasse]

It's normal for them to take details. It's not ok however for them to call your GP without your consent unless you were at risk of harm.
In Australia if you want the government to pay for some of the amount of your sessions the GP has to put a referral through so they get the details easily if you choose to have the govt pay.

[CantExplain]

Possible trigger:

Patients sometimes harm themselves or swallow things and then phone their Ts. (This would be my greatest fear if I were a T.) In which case T would definitely want to know where to send the ambulance.

On a more cynical note, they want to know where to send the debt collectors.

[littleblackdog]

Originally Posted by r2d45

Hi
Is it okay for the therapist to take such details of a patient as their home address and the name of their GP? Just checking.
I have never heard of any regulations in the UK giving them such a right.

Thanks
R

Mine didn't ask specifically, but as I was referred through my GP they already have all of that information.

Sounds like standard intake info to me. If you use insurance, I would guess address, etc. is pretty much a must since they have to be able to contact you if for some reason insurance doesn't pay and they need to send you the bill, and if you are on insurance, many insurances designate a PCP, so that would be pretty normal info. Probably the intake form is the same for every client, with or without insurance.

It's interesting to me to hear how general intake forms are. My two therapists never gave me any form, anything to sign etc. I submitted claims for insurance reimbursement and they provided their info for it. Well, one asked for my birth date to put on his invoices but that, my name and insurance ID were all. I just got curious whether it means something about how they run their business, but I was very happy with at least one of them. I know that I have very low to zero probability to have any serious psychological emergency and no idea if they would ask those pieces of information if someone presents with issues that make it more likely, we never even discussed possible emergencies or crises.