Numerous medical files were left outside a Scottish hospital in the Highlands, compromising confidential patient information.
The incident occurred when files of 19 individuals were found on the pavement outside a medical facility operated by NHS Highland.
It is not known what facility the breach occurred at but is the latest of more than 9,500 data breaches across NHS Scotland in the past four years.
NHS Highland has previously been embroiled in an email incident in 2019 where 37 HIV patients in the area were included as recipients revealing their medical condition.
Figures obtained by the Sunday Express show that data breaches have been on the rise in recent years.
In 2021 there were 3,139 breaches up from 2,206 in 2021, with 1,936 already recorded this year.
The former head of communications at NHS Highland, Brian Devlin called it a “terrible error”.
‘How this has happened is beyond my comprehension’
“It needs to be investigated as a matter of urgency by the chief executive of NHS Highland.
“Patients are in incredibly vulnerable situations when they go into hospital.
“The maintenance of confidentiality is a basic ethical principle, that everyone expects to be maintained, so how this has happened is beyond my comprehension.
“I certainly hope that action will be taken to investigate the reason behind it.”
Mr Devlin says while “mistakes can happen” in understaffed organisations where people are running around working tirelessly, it is still a serious error.
In July this year, a Thurso man spoke out after NHS Highland had disclosed patients’s personal information with him for the third time.
Peter Todd, after requesting access to his medical records, was shocked to find other patient’s information handwritten inside.
He lodged a complaint with the health board the first time it happened, receiving an apology for the “administrative error”, yet it occurred two more times.
Mr Todd said it was “absolutely outrageous” for a health board to send people’s confidential information to others.
A small number of breaches are so serious they have been referred to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We take data breaches within the NHS very seriously and work closely with the ICO to ensure the NHS boards are supported and lessons learnt.”
NHS Highland spokesman said: “NHS Highland has directly contacted all the patients affected by this data breach to apologise unreservedly.”
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