Royal Shrewsbury Hospital patients' medical details posted out by mistake
An envelope containing highly sensitive medical information relating to nine patients from Royal Shrewsbury Hospital was sent to a member of the public by mistake.
The trust has now launched an investigation into how the post, which contained information due to be sent from a consultant to a doctor, ended up in Mid Wales.
Dr Edwin Borman, medical director and Caldicott Guardian at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said: “I can confirm that this matter has been brought to our attention and a full investigation is currently under way.”
The envelope had been passed on to health campaigner and Newtown county councillor Joy Jones, who then passed it on to the hospital.
Councillor Jones said if she was one of the patients involved she would take action.
She added: “I think the whole thing is just disgraceful. I informed the hospital straight away because five out of the nine documents contained very highly sensitive information.
“It is a breach of confidentiality and a breach of data protection – and if it was me I would want some answers, some recourse from this.”
Councillor Jones said the investigation needs to go to the UK Information Commissioner.
She added: “I am sure the patients involved in this will be more than upset by the leak and worry about who might have seen their information.”
Dr Borman added: “SaTH takes very seriously its responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of our patients.
“This includes investigating the relatively small number of cases where errors have led to a breach of confidentiality, so that we can learn how to prevent these in future and can apologise to any patients affected in this way.”
