Patients kept in the dark as hundreds of records go astray

NHS

COUNTESS OF CHESTER  HOSPITAL
Number of incidents: 1 Number of patients involved: 5 Hospital reported that it had  discovered five cases where  patients’ records had  accidentally been thrown away.

HALTON AND ST HELENS  PCT
Number of incidents: 2 Number of patients involved: 80  (total) Incident 1 District nurse mislaid “weekend  book” containing the following  information about patients:  patient name, partial address.  For three patients, there was a  four digit door access code  recorded.  Incident 2  Details yet to be released

LIVERPOOL PCT:
Number of incidents: 3 Incident 1: Number of patients  involved: 100 A data stick containing the  patient caseload of an employee  was lost/stolen within an office.  The data stick was encrypted.  The appropriate manager  completed an incident form and  a management report. As a  result of the loss, procedures  were changed and patient  information is no longer stored  on portable data storage  devices. The PCT did not inform  the patients involved as the data  stick was encrypted. Incident 2: Number of patients  involved: 2 The hand-written notes of two  patients were found to be  missing.
An incident report form was  completed and both of the  patients were notified.  Incident 3: Number of patients  involved: 1 The hand-written health records  of a patient were found to be  missing upon a request for  them from a solicitor. The  solicitor and the patient were  informed and accepted copies  of the GP referral instead. An  incident form was filled out and  a duplicate of the record was  created.

LIVERPOOL WOMEN’S  HOSPITAL
Number of incidents: 1 Number of patients involved:  Unknown A CD containing ‘anonymised’  patient data was sent by post.  The data was posted recorded  delivery and marked as private  and confidential. However when  the envelope arrived at the  destination it was damaged and  no longer contained the CD. The Royal Mail customer  service was contacted by  telephone and they told us that  there was nothing further they  could do to assist with this  matter.

ROYAL LIVERPOOL  CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Number of incidents: 5 Incident 1. Number of patients  affected: 1 A 256MB Lexar flash card  (memory stick) containing 1  unidentifiable patient image was  taken from a hospital  department.  The area was  unattended for a maximum of 10  minutes while the staff member  dealt with a telephone call.  Incident 2. Number of patients  affected: 1 A patient folder was found to be  missing from the bedspace in  one of the Trust's wards. Incident 3. Number of patients  affected: 1 A copy of a patient's case notes  were sent recorded delivery to  the Nursing and Midwifery  council.  The envelope arrived  torn with copy case notes  missing but other  documentation intact.  The  envelope arrived in a white  plastic bag with an apology  from Royal Mail. Incident 4. Number of patients  affected: 1 A burglary was committed at the  home of a member of the Trust's  community team.  The staff  member's work bag was taken,  this contained notes relating to  one patient written on an A4  proforma. Staff reminded not to  take such information home. Incident 5. Number of patients  affected: Unknown A theft of doctor's personal  organiser from a Trust  department. This contained  doctor's appointments diary  with patient names but all data  was encrypted.

SEFTON PCT
Number of incidents: 2 Incident 1. Number of patients  affected: 6 School health records for six  patients, request by an audio- logy department, left a clinic but  did not arrive at destination.  Suspected they were inside a  courier’s van when it was  stolen. Never recovered. Incident 2. Number of records  affected: 31 Member of staff was loading her  car to go to work when it was  stolen. A total of 31 sets of  counselling notes were in her  car, including therapy name,  seven also had client name and  address and could be traced  back to the patient.

WARRINGTON PCT
Number of incidents: 4 Number of patients affected:  The CT says only that “it has  only been possible to confirm  that 8 patients’ details were  involved”.

HEALTH TRUSTS WHICH  SAID NO DATA HAD  BEEN MISLAID
Wirral Hospitals NHS Trust,  Cardiothoracic centre,  Southport and Ormskirk NHS  Trust, Wirral PCT, University  Hospitals Aintree

davidhiggerson

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