HSE patient files emailed to wrong person for 6 months

Confidential patient notes, operating theatre schedules, and minutes of meetings were repeatedly sent in error to a member of the public for six months — despite his efforts to highlight the issue.

The HSE apologised and said it was notifying the Data Protection Commissioner about the breach, which apparently 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, who does not wish to be identified, said he made repeated attempts to highlight the fact that he was getting the emails to his personal email address, but continued to receive them from January to July.