by Bernie English bernie@limerickpost.ie
THE HSE has confirmed that confidential patient notes and other documentation relating to the running of the University Hospital Limerick were sent to a private email address, belonging to a person who had nothing to do with the hospital.
The IT worker who received the files says he repeatedly highlighted the issue but continued to receive the sensitive information over a six month period.
The wrongly directed emails contained confidential patient notes, details of operating theatre schedules and minutes of meetings.
The HSE apologised and said it was notifying the Data Protection Commissioner about the breach, which occurred because the recipient of the emails, a Cork-based IT professional, has the same name as a consultant at Limerick University Hospital.
The recipient said he made repeated attempts to alert the hospital that he was receiving the confidential information but the emails kept coming from January to July of this year.
The information was sent by a number of different people, mostly health professionals, but instead of reaching the consultant in question, they were sent to the IT professional.
Included in the files were details relating to a young boy who is battling a serious condition.
In its statement the HSE said: “As with any data protection concern, the matter is being taken very seriously and will be investigated. We apologise to any individuals involved. The matter has been reported to the Data Protection Commissioner and it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this time.”
