NHS Orkney to take action after confidentiality breach

NHS Orkney chief executive Cathie Cowan has apologised after confidential patient information was found by a member of the public on a pavement near the Balfour Hospital.

Ms Cowan, who described the incident as “very disappointing”, also said an investigation into why the records were taken outside the hospital was now underway.

The incident came to light yesterday, Tuesday, when a member of the public handed in the confidential paperwork, which included the names of patients, and details of their conditions and treatment, to the Radio Orkney office in Kirkwall.

Ms Cowan said: “A sheet containing certain medical information about seven patients was found by a member of the public outside the hospital. These are known as handover notes and are used by staff changing shift. These should not have left the hospital but it is not as yet clear how they came to be found in a public area.

“An investigation is being carried out and I will be writing personally to the patients or families concerned to apologise.”

Ms Cowan added: “This breach of confidentiality is very disappointing. Staff observe very high standards of confidentiality, but clearly on this occasion we fell below those standards. We will be trying to establish what happened, with a view to ensuring it does not happen again.”