An NHS patient has sounded the alarm after receiving confidential details for someone else’s cancer appointment.
The patient, from Elgin, was sent a written update from Dr Gray’s Hospital with instructions for a video consultation.
However, on turning the page the patient saw the letter also contained details of another patient in the town’s oncology appointment.
The patient did not want to speak publicly about the ordeal.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said the mistake is “utterly appalling” – and warned it is the second time he has been alerted to a breach.
In 2018, he was accidentally sent details about a patient from Aberdeen alongside a response to a request about a constituent.
‘Serious questions to answer’
The Moray MP said: “It is very disappointing that an incident like this could occur.
“Sadly, it is not the first time that this has happened on NHS Grampian’s watch. It is little wonder that the patient contacted my office in such a state of distress.
“This is gross negligence from the health board and will have made this patient, as well as the patient whose details they unwittingly came across hugely anxious.
“There are serious questions for NHS Grampian to answer over how this happened, given I have raised such data breaches before.”
Mr Ross called for an “absolute guarantee” it won’t happen again.
“I hope the health board can reassure these patients as quickly as possible and guarantee this is the last time this sort of serious breach will happen,” he added.
NHS Grampian investigated the 2018 incident and said “additional procedures” would limit the chance of it happening again.
In response to the latest incident, an NHS Grampian spokesman said: “We take patient confidentiality and data protection very seriously.
“We will be taking prompt action to investigate this matter.”