Pretty much how it is here as well. If you can't prove you're a family member (which is bloody hard to do over the phone), hospitals and private clinics aren't allowed to provide you with information about patients. The reasoning behind this is actually pretty sound - they don't want patients bothered by ambulance chasers and other assorted scum.
Boru
Boru
‘I can’t be having with this.’ - Esmeralda Weatherwax