Out of the blue last week I had a letter. It was from an ex-patient of the adolescent psych unit that I spent some time in a few years ago. He's now studying filmmaking and is doing a documentary on the unit. The letter was a request for participation.

I've tentatively said yes... and we're meeting for an interview on Sunday. I'm a little weirded out, though. Firstly, the hospital just gave him a list of patients' addresses which I'm sure breaks every confidentiality rule in the book, and secondly...well... it was a really weird time in my life (and his too, no doubt), and it'll be really weird to meet another ex-patient again... I'm not sure we said so much as 3 words to each other while he was there.

Also, I'm VERY unsure about actually going back to the unit (he said there might be a filming there)... I think it'd be really hard to see young people who are in what was my position then.

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Yeah, that is DEFINITELY a breach of confidentiality. When I worked for the NHS, we had to shred any lists with people's names on, because apparently it is illegal to even tell someone that a person is registered at that doctor's surgery. I think you should contact the unit to complain, regardless of whether you do the film or not!

Also, meet in a public place or with someone you know. Please believe me when I say that I would say that regardless of where you met him. The way he has obtained your address sounds a bit dodgy - they shouldn't be allowed to give him a list like that , and you said yourself you don't know this person very well at all.

Mmmm I agree. It's pretty hard to believe that they would just dole out former patients' contact details like this...

Mind you, even if he did employ some underhand tactics to get people's contact details, maybe he just really has moved on and is doing something really cool with his life now and needs a bit of help with is...although you have to, really, it's horrible to always need to be so cynical about everybody!

Oh yeah I completely agree with the last bit - I should have balanced what I said out with something positive, it could be he's doing something great right now and that probably is the case but it does no harm to be careful.