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Man sent another patient’s notes in hospital row
Paul Jackman of Hammond Street, Parr, St Helens, who received other patients' medical information
A HEART patient was sent a complete stranger’s medical records after reporting a hospital dispute to the ombudsman.
Paul Jackman says the Health Service Ombudsman sent him another patient’s name, address, date of birth, telephone number, NHS number and medical records by post last week.
The 49-year-old, of Parr, has been in dispute with Warrington Hospital since undergoing a heart operation there in August 2009.
He said: “When the ombudsman told me that they’d tracked down my medical records I was made up. But I couldn’t believe it when I opened up the letter and found another patient’s records jumbled up with mine.
“I felt so bad about it that I rang his telephone number and told his wife. She’s an ex nurse and said she really appreciated me letting her know.
“This chap is 71 years old, suffers from similar heart problems to me and was also a patient at Warrington Hospital. But there’s no way I should have been sent all that sensitive information.
“I’m worried this might be happening to other people too. I’d hate to think someone else might be opening up my medical records.”
Mr Jackman, who lives on Hammond Street with his 13-year-old son, contacted the ombudsman in a bid to solve a long-running dispute with Warrington Hospital.
He claims that an operation to put a coronary stent into his heart has left one of his arteries blocked.
Mr Jackman, now a patient at Whiston Hospital, says he suffers from a very unstable form of angina and has already suffered two heart attacks.
A spokeswoman for the Health Service Ombudsman said: “We have a responsibility to keep individuals’ personal information safe, and we take steps to do so at all times.
“In a recent incident, a Trust sent us medical records for one of our customers, which contained information relating to somebody else. We then accidentally passed this information on to our customer.
“We deeply regret what has happened. We have apologised to the person whose records were disclosed and are taking steps to have them returned to us as soon as possible. We have also apologised to the customer who received them in error.
“We will be reporting this incident to the Information Commissioner.”
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Weather for St Helens
Friday 24 May 2013
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