Hospital apology as children’s records are sent to wrong address
9:00am Friday 15th August 2008
BUNGLING hospital staff posted patients’ confidential medical details to a Winsford man.
Gary Snaith, of Wharton Gardens, could not believe his eyes when he received a letter from Leighton Hospital on Friday morning regarding a routine appointment for his two-year-old daughter and attached to it were private appointment letters for four other children.
The shocked father-of-five said: “This is just another classic cock up at Leighton Hospital.
“I’m absolutely disgusted.
“My initial reaction was is this some sort of sick joke, but it was in a franked envelope from Leighton Hospital.
“I can’t believe that this could happen in this day and age, I mean are we in 2008 or 1898?”
The letters included the full names, addresses, dates of birth, clinics where they were scheduled appointments, diagnosis reports, GPs details and NHS numbers of four girls under 10-years-old.
Mr Snaith, 37, now fears what would have happened if the letters had arrived in the wrong hands and is now concerned that his own daughter’s details could have been sent elsewhere.
“I feel pretty infiltrated now and I’m wondering if my daughter’s particulars have gone to someone else,” he said.
“You hear about these paedophile rings, what would happen if this information was sold on the internet?
“It’s just very alarming to even think about it, as a parent of girls I’m very protective of my daughters.
“Everyone around this area needs to know what has happened.”
Leighton Hospital has apologised for the mistake and advised Mr Snaith where to send the letters back to.
Dr Paul Dodds, medical director for Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I would like to thank Mr Snaith for bringing this unfortunate mistake to our attention.
“Patient confidentiality and data protection is a priority for all our staff and it is regrettable that, on this occasion, the high standards within which we operate have not been met.
“As a Trust, we send out over 200,000 appointment letters per year.
“We are reviewing the circumstances surrounding this administration error and will ensure any learning will be shared across all of the Trust.”
What do you think? Let us know on our website winsfordguardian.co.uk.