Health chiefs in Tayside have had to apologise for another data breach after paperwork for hundreds of patients went missing.
Details of people’s mental health and learning disabilities were contained in the documents.
In a letter to the nearly 500 people affected, NHS Tayside says it spent “significant time” trying to track down the paperwork.
It is not clear how long ago the documents went missing.
The incident comes just weeks after some NHS Tayside staff were said to have been left “raging” after their personal details were leaked by mistake.
The health board has also been embroiled in a series of other challenges, as it deals with the fallout of the Sam Eljamel surgery scandal, the resignation of chief executive Grant Archibald and claims bosses told staff to come into work during Covid despite work-from-home guidance.
Missing NHS Tayside documents may include clinical assessments
The NHS letter says the lost paperwork came from a green folder with the person’s name and date of birth on it.
It says for some, there will be “very little information” included – but there may be “more information” for others, particularly those seen by medics “a long time ago”.
The lost documents may include information such as:
- Clinical assessments
- Formal letters written and received by the patient
- Handwritten notes kept during the initial assessment process
- Ratings from the patient about the severity of their health and the effectiveness of treatments
- Copies of forms or reports for benefit claims such as Disability Living Allowance or Incapacity Benefit
Tayside patients may have to repeat tests after paperwork lost
NHS Tayside claims there is “no evidence” the paperwork has been stolen, but it cannot be located.
However, the letter says the loss of the records “may mean that clinical staff have less information for some specific tests to track changes in your condition over time”.
It adds that patients may have to repeat some tests if required.
Maurice Golden, Scottish Conservative MSP for North East Scotland, says the latest incident is “alarming”.
He said: “This is another deeply worrying issue in relation to data protection involving NHS Tayside.
“People trust health boards implicitly with some of the most sensitive information.
“But incidents like these damage that trust, and put some of the most vulnerable people in an extremely difficult and alarming position.
“It’s essential we find out what happened to these notes and why, and what the health board intends to do to stop this happening in future.”
NHS Tayside in ‘extensive searches’ for missing paperwork
A spokesperson for NHS Tayside said: “Following the discovery that a number of patients’ paper records relating to mental health and learning disability could not be found, NHS Tayside commissioned an investigation.
“As part of this investigation, significant time was spent undertaking multiple, extensive searches in an effort to find the records across our facilities.
“They have not been located at this time and therefore they have been declared as missing.
“NHS Tayside has written directly to the patients affected to inform them of the loss of part of their paper record, what it means for them and to sincerely apologise.
“Our clinical staff have also undertaken a review into the information that has been lost for each individual patient.
“Patient records are held in both electronic and paper formats and patients have been reassured that their e-records are safe and secure.
“We have already made robust changes to the way paper medical records are tracked between premises and when in transit to minimise the chance of this situation happening again.”
The breach has been reported to the information Commissioners’ Office, which has been contacted for comment.
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