Video conferencing with oncologist

small town stuff is hard and I don't think the medical profession realise how hard it is.  the breaches of privacy are mind boggling.  Just last week my husband had to go into hospital for kidney stone surgery.  We had been in there 5 minutes and one of the nurses that we know comes in to see how he is doing as he knows us and had seen his name in the paper work - and literally 5 minutes after he left our room his wife sent me a sms to ask how my hubby was as her hubby had said he was in hospital.  it wasn't anything private or sensitive but really - the gossip travels fast in small towns.

Hi@kitkatb what you say makes sense to me . The cancer care social worker from the base hospital called me yesterday and I am afraid I let her have it. She did take it gracefully though for which I am appreciative.
It seems my oncologist ( public system ) likes to have some one sit in with her patients. I requested/suggested my VC be moved to a different hospital ( only 20 minutes away ) so I can take advantage of the BC nurses. The local oncology nurses work between the two hospitals. On my last admission they had to drag them across form one town to another in order to access my port. There were a number of very disturbing problems with my admission one of them being that there was no doctor, none at all , on call except the on phone contact for rural health. My oncologist is now aware of this. I still haven't seen a dr concerning my jugular blood clot. 
The local BC nurse also called me yesterday. It seems I have let the snake into the coop ........and I am concerned about repercussions. I don't like being called the trouble maker, the one with all the problems. Having cancer is hard enough.

HI @jan61  I have teleoncology conferencing and it has always been done in private.  There is no need for anyone else to be there.
It is great and saves travel time and money to get to see your specialist.  My Oncologist set up teleoncology in Julia creek, Mt Isa, and other remote areas here in North Qld.  He truly believes that just because you are rural should not isolate you from having conferencing with specialists as well as having lower dose chemo in rural hospitals so it can now all be done through the main Townsville hospital via video link where you are watched the whole time by specialist oncologists while selected staff at rural hospitals have had extra training to give the chemo.  He believes that what money is saved from travel subsidies to patients should be plied back into cancer research or other cancer projects which in essence would account for thousands and just because patients live rural should not discount them out on any of the latest cancer trials so this also can be followed through with teleoncology link ups.   It has been heaven sent for those patients who don't have to travel hours at a time to tap into specialists or receive chemo xo

Thanks for the reassurance people. 

Jan, health privacy is governed by a lot of legislation. You are completely and comprehensively within your rights to ask the nurses to leave the room. It should not be a big deal. If it is, you can stand on your rights and complain with vigour! K xox

'Been there, done that' and appreciate your comment re small town stuff.  Most of us prefer a degree of privacy.  Go for it - ask for that privacy.
This is all about YOU so ignore the feelings of those who think it is their business as they may well not be able to maintain the level of confidentiality in the small town atmosphere - as I well know !
All the best with the conference call and results from that.
Summer   <3

I would think that you should be allowed to request that.  No reason for them to be there at all.

I'd also suggest you use your phone to record the conversation as well for your own records. 

All the best with the video conference xx