THE DATA PROTECTION COMMISSIONER’S INVESTIGATION INTO THE DUMPING OF MEDICAL RECORDS IN A BIN AT ROSCOMMON HOSPITAL IS LIKELY TO CONCLUDE SWIFTLY.

A PRELIMINARY PROBE INTO HOW CONFIDENTIAL RECORDS WERE DISCARDED IN THIS WAY HAS FOUND THE SOURCE OF THE BREACH WAS WITHIN THE HEALTH SERVICE.

IN THE WAKE OF THE DISCOVERY A GP IS CALLING FOR ALL MEDICAL RECORDS TO BE STORED ON COMPUTERS - INSTEAD OF HAVING ANY PAPER FILES.

THE DEPUTY DATA PROTECTION COMMISSIONER GARY DAVIS CONFIRMED TO MIDWEST NEWS THAT HE IS SATISFIED FROM A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION THAT “THE CAUSE OF THE BREACH LIES ENTIELY WITHIN THE HSE”.

MR DAVIS SAID THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE WERE “UNUSUAL” IN THAT THE FILES WERE NOT HANDED OVER FOR A WEEK BUT STRESSED THAT MANY PEOPLE SIMPLY WOULDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH SUCH DOCUMENTS.

HE INSISTED HE WAS HAPPY THAT THE ROSCOMMON HOSPITAL ACTION COMMITTEE HAD ACTED IN “GOOD FAITH”.

THE FILES DATE BACK TO LAST MAY BEFORE THE CONTROVERSIAL DOWNGRADING OF THE A AND E SERVICE AT ROSCOMMON AND RELATE TO APPROXIMATELY 100 PATIENTS FROM LINGFORD AND WESTMEATH WHO ATTENDED MULLINGAR REGIONAL HOSPITAL.

MR DAVIS ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE RECORDS HAVE NOW BEEN GIVEN TO THE HSE, AND THAT THE COMMISSION’S INQUIRY IS LIKELY TO CONCLUDE WITHIN WEEKS.

MONAGHAN BASED GP DR, ILONA DUFFY HAS CALLED FOR ALL PATIENT FILES TO BE STORED ON COMPUTER RATHER THAN PAPER FILES IN THE WAKE OF THIS CONTROVERY.