"Confidentiality? Dignity and respect?"

I had cause to come to A&E with an eye problem. I didn't have long to wait and the doctor I saw was thorough and professional and treated the problem and asked me to attend the eye clinic a week hence (& to come back earlier should things not improve).

So far more than so good..I then went back to A & E reception, unsure as to whether or not I needed to inform them I was leaving. The reception desk was unattended so I stood and waited and notice someone's notes open on the desk and turned towards me. I was able to read these very easily and it not only showed name address etc but information of a personal nature. The receptionist returned and looked at me accusingly and shut them. . It was the same receptionist who was there when I arrived who had questioned someone who came in after me and kept asking them to repeat things because they couldn't hear them, and they looked u comfortable...qI felt sorry for them and they weren't the kind of people to articulate their discomfort and the receptionist was intelligent enough if not empathetic enough to realise that....if I could tell they weren't happy surely so could they and should've suggested taking them somewhere more private....the a and e reception offers no privacy therefore people wanting to relate private and sensitive information are treated with no respect for their dignity whatsoever........fortunately I have a strong belief in people's right to privacy and have not repeated any information I saw or heard....but how long had they been left open and who else saw the notes?......