A lesson to be learned

By Don Farmer

[email protected]

The right to privacy especially when it comes to personal matters such as health is a very important requirement for most people.

So, news this week that a collection of patients files had been lost from the roof of a car and blown into a public street was concerning to say the least.

The Wednesday morning incident in Michael Street, Masterton, involved files in the possession of Wairarapa District Health Board staff and at the time of writing only one of 18 lost papers had been retrieved.

The loss of the files raises some questions as it was only 8.30am when they were lost and DHB bosses say staff do not take files home overnight.

But, regardless of that some pluses did come from the unfortunate incident.

Board chairman Dr Derek Milne and Wairarapa Hospital’s communications manager Anna Cardno did not beat about the bush with the media.

They put their hands up on behalf of the organisation, expressed their regret as to what had happened and gave at least the assurance no details of which medication the affected patients were receiving were contained in the lost papers.

That, of course, is only partial comfort because it can be assumed that names were involved in the documents and perhaps the conditions patients were being treated for.

If so, that’s a big enough breach of privacy.

Recognising you can’t achieve anything by closing the stable door after the horse has bolted it only remains to remind the DHB staff and others of the risks of putting anything, especially things of value on a car roof.

Over the years I can recall several incidences of things being lost as a result of being left on a car roof and distracted drivers forgetting clean about them and driving off.

On one occasion a wallet with quite a lot of money went west and on another occasion a newspaper photographer ruined an expensive Nikon camera and lens by the same method.

The camera had at least been covered by insurance but it is a completely different situation when sensitive patient information is left to blow about the streets.