Found dumped in bin in the street, records of nearly 100 patients
‘Just sitting on top of the rubbish’
CONFIDENTIAL records detailing the names, ages, treatments and conditions of almost 100 hospital patients have been found in a bin. NHS Grampian yesterday said it had launched an investigation and described the breach of data security as ‘extremely disappointing’.
The documents feature information about orthopaedic trauma patients in wards 212 and 213 at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, recorded over the past three weeks. They were all marked ‘confidential’ and ‘destroy by shredding’.
The notes, which should have been destroyed by health board staff, were found outside a block of flats in Bannermill Place, Aberdeen, by a member of the public, who has asked not to be identified.
He said: ‘I came down to put some rubbish in the bin and they were just sitting on top of the rubbish.
‘There wasn’t even any attempt made to disguise them.
‘I did think about contacting the hospital but I wanted to make sure that it couldn’t be swept under the rug. It’s shocking that they were just put there.’
In total, 30 pages of confidential records were found in the bin.
NHS Grampian confirmed that it had reported the breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), as is legally required by data protection laws.
A spokesman for the ICO said: ‘NHS Grampian has made us aware of this incident and we will assess the information provided.’
Alexander Burnett, Conservative MSP for Aberdeenshire West, said the breach of data protection would be a concern to patients and their families. He added: ‘This is a very worrying incident that will rightly alarm patients in the North-East.
‘You cannot simply leave this type of personal data lying around.
‘NHS Grampian will, I am sure, be reviewing their practices and ensuring all staff are fully aware of their responsibilities.’
North East Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald also backed calls for the public to know how the data breach came about.
He said: ‘This needs to be investigated and NHS Grampian needs to get to the bottom of this.
‘It would be surprising if any member of staff was authorised to take any medical files off the premises.
‘Certainly, disposing of them in a public bin is unacceptable.
‘I think that patients will want reassurance from NHS Grampian that this is a one-off, and it will not be allowed to happen again.’
A spokesman for the health board said: ‘Patients have the right to expect their data to be stored securely.
‘Investigations into how these documents ended up in a public bin are getting under way.
‘We take the issue of data protection very seriously.
‘We regularly train our staff in the importance and procedures covering data protection for the people we serve, and will continue regular training and awareness raising.’
A spokesman for civil liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch said: ‘The fact that people’s medical records have been treated so carelessly is extremely concerning.
‘Medical records contain extremely personal and sensitive information about our lives and they should be kept safe and secure at all times.’