500,000 NHS documents misplaced

NHS England has revealed that 500,000 NHS documents have been mistakenly put in storage instead of being sent to GPs or filed in patients’ records, after an administrative mix-up.

The news first disclosed by Health Secretary Jeremy hunt in July 2016, but the actual number of files lost had not beed specified.

An investigation is currently being carried out, focusing on the estimated 2,500 patients who may have been adversely affected and need further medical checks, although no harm has been identified so far.

The error occurred when a mail redirection company NHS Shared Business Services, privately contracted by the NHS, failed to pass on documents that had either been incorrectly addressed or needed re-routing because the patient had moved to a new GP surgery.

The failings occurred between 2011 and 2016 in the East Midlands, the South West and north-east London.

An NHS England spokesperson said: "A team including clinical experts has reviewed that old correspondence and it has now all been delivered wherever possible to the correct practice."

Dr Richard Vautrey of the British Medical Association (BMA), commented: “That might mean repeat prescriptions, which would be unnecessary, as they have been taken before. And it might mean delay in diagnosis. If that happened it's at best an inconvenience to the patient, and at worst there's a risk of patient harm."