Outrage as hospital loses 2,000 records

By chill

CONFIDENTIAL health records belonging to 2,000 physiotherapy patients have been lost.

Security is expected to be tightened at the Haywood Hospital in Burslem after the sensitive documents vanished.

The Haywood Hospital, pictured below, owned and managed by NHS Stoke-on-Trent, provides rehabilitation, podiatry and other therapy services. The missing records relate to patients treated in or before 2006.

Hospital managers have apologised.

A NHS spokesman said: "An investigation has been launched after it came to our attention that approximately 2,000 patients' records cannot be located.

"We are investigating the possibility of records having been destroyed under confidential conditions, in error."

"The missing records relate to a number of patients discharged after completing physiotherapy treatment in 2006 at Haywood Hospital.

"We would like to take this opportunity to apologise to anyone who has been affected. Procedures have already been tightened and steps are in place to ensure this does not happen again."

North Staffordshire Healthwatch co-ordinator, Ian Syme said: "The NHS has a duty of care to ensure records are kept safely. This is a major failing, to lose one person's is bad enough, but 2,000 is an outrage.

"In this situation they are going to have to contact all the patients and trawl through GP records and hospital documents to inform people.

"In my view the NHS does a lot of very good work, but mistakes like this bring the whole process into disrepute.

"Those confidential and often sensitive documents belong to the patient and this mistake is outrageous."

Former patient, George Hardman, aged 62, of Penkhull, had physiotherapy in 2006 following a leg amputation caused by diabetes complications. He said: "I had 12 months of treatment at Haywood Hospital. I had my leg amputated and they helped me to walk again with a false leg.

"The work they do there is amazing. I can forgive them that considering the amount of good they did for me."

Patients who think their notes have been lost should contact the PCT Information Governance Department on 01782 298339 which is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm.