Over 400 patients’ medical data was discovered within an old medical care facility that had been abandoned. ABC reported that the facility had once been run by the New South Wales government.
At one point in the past, the medical facility used to be called the Garrawarra Centre for the Aged Care and was located about 45km south of the city of Sydney in a place called Helensburgh.
dates were between 1992 and 2002, the documents had sensitive patient data like their personal profiles, treatments, medical conditions, accidents, medical history, and behaviors.
The documents are believed to contain charts with incontinence and pain data, hospital admission forms, doctor referrals, and also a memo concerning a complaint from the daughter of a patient who hadn’t been notified about the death of her father. All of the items in question had been left on the derelict building’s floor.
In a statement that was made by NSW allegedly claiming that the facility had been trespassed on, the state has essentially begun an “urgent” investigation into the security systems and document management of the medical center.
A spokesperson for NSW Health stated: “If it is found that any file notes have been inappropriately stored, the center will be contacting individuals, or their families to apologize.”
This investigation has come up at a time when the Australian federal government is already dealing with concerns about privacy and security regarding its controversial My Health Record.
The My Health Record online medical file’s opt-out window has not been going very smoothly, and over the past several weeks, the Australian federal government has been doing “damage control” while attempting to assure its citizens of the safety of their personal medical data.
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