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A review is underway after NHS patients in the East of England received confidential data about other people.

NHS IT body, Connecting for Health, has apologised after patients’ details were accidentally disclosed in a mailshot designed – ironically – to reassure them about the security of their medical records.

BBC Look East reports a number of recipients opened their envelopes to find letters addressed to other patients.

The letters – marked ‘Private and Confidential’ – showed the patient’s name, address and personal NHS number.

NHS Connecting for Health, which sent the letters on behalf of primary care trusts in the region, blamed a contractor for the error.  It said in a statement:

“Some PCTs have been made aware that, in a number of cases, more than one patient letter has been placed in an envelope.  The letters contain no medical information.

“The mailhouse supplier responsible… has undertaken a rigorous review of their processes.”

Source: BBC News, 7 March 2010.