Health service apologises over document bungle

By Ashlee Betteridge
South Sydney Area Health Service
has publically apologised to patients,
families, staff and the community
after confidential documents were
left outside Rozelle Hospital.
The Village Voice visited the
grounds of Rozelle Hospital on May
5, nearly a week after it was closed
on April 30, and found 12 unsecured
waste paper bins full of highly con-
fidential documents outside the hos-
pital’s former administration block.
The bins contained patient dis-
charge records with full psychiatric
and health care details, ECG results
and names and addresses.
The Village Voice also found hun-
dreds of staff records dumped be-
hind hospital buildings in garbage
bags.
The documents, outlining staff
histories, pay records and reasons
for dismissal, were freely accessi-
ble and just metres away from busy
paths frequented by dog walkers
and joggers.
Documents were dated from the
early 1980s to April this year and re-
vealed confidential treatment and
medical histories of both patients
and hospital staff.
A SSWAHS spokesman said that
the area health service had investi-
gated the matter and identified ways
to prevent a repeat of the incident.
“Once alerted to the situation,
immediate steps were put in place
to secure all identified documents,”
the spokesman said.
“All the relevant documents are
now secured for appropriate man-
agement,” he said.
“This occurred due to human er-
ror under unusual and exceptional
circumstances of the hospital relo-
cation after 130 years.”
The 12 unsecured waste paper
bins filled with highly confidential
documents (right), including detailed
patient records, were left outside
Rozelle Hospital nearly a week after
the hospital close on April 30.

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Village Voice Balmain June 7