CONFIDENTIAL patient data was left on top of a hospital carpark machine during one of 18 similar blunders last year, the

Journal

has discovered.

The folder, the contents of which were not disclosed, was found on the machine in July last year and managers never found out who left it there.

In 2009 there were 18 recorded incidents of personal data loss at Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust (NDHT), who run the Barnstaple hospital.

Lost paperwork was recovered in most cases and staff were reminded about the importance of not losing documents.

The incidents varied but all seemed to come down to honest, human error.

In January an obstetrics list was sent to the wrong address and in May a theatre list was found on a hospital footpath.

Five of the incidents involved pregnant women and new mothers: in May a midwifery booking form was "mislaid, it is thought, in Litchdon Medical Centre". That form is missing and the patient was told.

In June the "wrong patient details" were given to a pregnant woman. In the same month the wrong patient discharge letter was given to a mother.

Just two months later midwifery notes were incorrectly filed and midwifery booking notes were left "at wrong home".

In other incidents, a district nurse lost her diary containing patient details, it is thought, in Brannam's GP surgery and a P60 form disappeared and is still lost.

In June several discharge letters were mistakenly sent to an accident and emergency patient rather than a GP. The next month a district nurse lost her Filofax.

An operations list was discovered dropped on hospital stairs in August and another similar list was found near the doctors' accommodation block in September.

There were two other incidents recorded: in November, day surgery discharge information was sent to a police station in error and in December an admission letter was sent to the wrong patient.

NDHT chief executive Jac Kelly said: "The trust takes any loss of personal data extremely seriously. On the very rare occasions when it has happened, we have acted without delay and have immediately re-secured the data in all but three cases. All cases were pieces of paperwork.

"Almost a quarter-of-a-million patients attend our hospitals or receive home visits every year, so our incidence of personal data loss is very low indeed. Nevertheless, we will not hesitate to review and change our systems as necessary to continue to strengthen data security.

"None of the incidents in 2009 involved electronically-held data such as CDs or laptops. The trust has stringent systems in place, including data encryption, to protect all of the data we hold electronically. None of the incidents affected the safety of our patients."