HSE and anonymised calls to clients

In this thread we discussed the costs etc. of calling non-geographic telephone numbers.

Today I got a call from an anonymised number which I accidentally answered. The caller, claiming to be from the HSE asked me to confirm certain personal information.

I refused saying I had no way of verifying that she was who she claimed to be and was not about to reveal confidential information to an anonymous stranger. She gave me her first name (doh!) and outlined in broad terms why she was calling, an item plucked from a long list of HSE hot potatoes that the dogs in the street know. I asked could I call her back on a HSE land-line number and she said no. I asked could she give me even a single datum to verify her her claims and she said DPA prevented her.

I asked to speak to her supervisor (name, direct telephone number) and she said she would advise her supervisor who would call me back at some unidentified time in the future. She also said that withholding telephone numbers and direct-line numbers HSE policy.

I wonder what genius dreamed up the anonymous telephone number policy, if indeed it is a national HSE policy at all?

There are constant warnings against giving confidential information over the phone, yet the biggest employer in the state seems to have a policy that dismisses all [the workings] this good work.

Thoughts?

This discussion is also relevant IMHO

Are you sure this wasn't a phishing scam?

No I'm not sure at all and that's the worry. I've emailed a known contact in the HSE who is officially "in the loop" on this matter as it relates to me, to try to get more info.

The thing is I have the names and numbers of people in the HSE with whom I have professional dealings. They don't seem to be aware of the no caller-id policy. They splash their names and numbers on headed paper addressed to me and ring me from identifiable numbers.

I also know that the various HSE corporate HQ call-centres are a nightmare to deal with if you make inbound calls; I wonder if they can initiate out-bound calls. I've been told by the "agents" (of the CIA?) that they can't, they only pass messages up the comms chain.

I'll write to the Minister again if I have to, but I'll give my official liaison a couple of days to respond first. At one level I'm hoping it was an attempted scam and not another HSE Corporate whoopsie as I state in my OP.

mathepac said:

I wonder what genius dreamed up the anonymous telephone number policy, if indeed it is a national HSE policy at all?

There are constant warnings against giving confidential information over the phone, yet the biggest employer in the state seems to have a policy that dismisses all the workings.

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Definitely not a HSE policy. sounds like a marketing or phishing cam.

Even if it was. If enough people simply hung up on them they'd stop.

Sounds strange - HSE does use outsourced call centres for some services.

I don't mean to pry, but did they give any indication what the call was about? Do you have some current open issues with HSE?

mathepac said:

The caller, claiming to be from the HSE asked me to confirm certain personal information.

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Without going into details, can you clarify what kind of personal information were they looking for?

RainyDay said:

... Do you have some current open issues with HSE?

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Yes as in my second post above, but tens of thousands of others have this same issue - illegally charged prescription levies as highlighted in another thread

Guns N Roses said:

Without going into details, can you clarify what kind of personal information were they looking for?

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The usual - PPSN, DOB, address.

The PCRS uses private numbers to make outbound calls.

OK I phoned my contact, I'll call her SHEila from now on. (Money-saving hint - don't ring PCRS on their expensive 1890 number, use 01 864 7100 instead)

SHEila confirmed that the call I received last Monday is logged in the PCRS system, as are other unanswered calls to my number. I asked SHEila to guess why they remained unanswered, and she got it in one. SHEila asked why I didn't respond to the voicemails and the reason was there were no voicemails. SHEila confirmed my voicemail as working by ringing me back (caller-id with-held!!) and activating my voicemail.

SHEila then tried to connect me to the query answering department, but the call-transfer apparently failed and after six-and-ahalf minutes on hold I hung up.

Before attempting to transfer my call, SHEila told me she had referred my email to a supervisor of something or other to answer the question about caller-ids etc. which we now have an answer to here. @Time, thank you.

After hanging up, I rang PCRS again and after a call lasting 18 minutes, using the original query number SHEila gave me as my reference, I still don't know what the original call was about or the status of my original claim. Everyone I spoke to needed to talk to "somebody else" and "raise a query". This seems to be all they can do which makes their roles as useful as chocolate tea-pots, but dearer.

An almighty expensive mess? Yes Minister. You'll be hearing from me again.

In my experience the PCRS call centre is as useful as a chocolate teapot. Nobody there is able to make a decision or give answers. The only way I could get answers was to contact my local TD who was able to get an answer by email within 20 minutes.

I progressed my claims thus far with political help. Now that the political pressure has apparently eased off the HSE can't / won't function in response to regular customer enquiries. Back to the front-benches and cabinet with me.