Hutt Hospital Data Breach (2013)

A breach of privacy by a patient in Hutt Hospital's emergency department has been referred to police. Hutt Valley District Health Board chief executive Graham Dyer has confirmed that on September 8 a patient was able to view information about other patients on an unattended computer. "As soon as this issue was discovered, the four computer workstations in emergency department assessment rooms were disconnected to prevent further incidents," Dyer said. All other computers in the emergency department are located in staff-only areas. "We're extremely disappointed that a patient who has come to our organisation seeking help for a medical condition has chosen to abuse the privacy of others." As well as contacting police, the DHB discussed the incident with the privacy commissioner. "We take the privacy of our patients' information very seriously," Dyer said. All patients whose information might have been viewed had been contacted and a "full apology" offered.