Text messages to patients of an East Cowes doctors’ surgery, asking them to complete an ethnicity survey, are not a scam, the surgery has confirmed.
Despite rumblings on social media, the East Cowes Medical Centre, on Church Path, has been quick to confirm the text messages alerting patients to the survey were genuine.
Survey is genuine
In posts on social media, patients said they had had it confirmed from the practice it was not sent by them.
However, a spokesperson for the East Cowes practice confirmed the text, containing a link to the survey, was sent by them.
Equality impact assessment
The survey is necessary, they said, as the surgery carries out an equality impact assessment to ensure it has the right services for the area.
They said the text had gone out to around 400 patients who had incomplete records and they were just trying to fulfil their equality obligations.
Investigation
Addressing the comments on social media, the spokesperson said they would be looking into where the information came from.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
Image: Charles Deluvio under CC BY 2.0
