TALLAGHT HOSPITAL HAS now admitted that patient medial records may have been subjected to unauthorised access and disclosure after first denying such accusations.

RTÉ reports that the hospital has also admitted that whilst it was not policy to identify patients, this was not a policy that was always followed.

The hospital had previously denied allegations by RTÉ last month that it had verbally reported a potential data security breach to the Data Protection Commissioner after it used a private firm to transcribe some medical reports and letters with some material sent to the Philippines for transcription.

It was reported that some letters which were dictated did not come back transcribed. The hospital has now admitted that the policy of keeping information sheets for each letter was not always followed.

Tallaght hospital has now set up a unit to respond to patient queries, according to RTÉ, and is trying to ensure all data is returned whilst warning clinicians that when using the transcription service it must be assumed that some patient information is being disclosed.

The hospital was last year at the centre of  a scandal when it emerged that thousands of x-rays had gone unread and GP referral letters went unprocessed whilst the hospital’s emergency department is currently undergoing a HIQA safety probe.

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Read: Watchdog says serious risks to patients at Tallaght hospital >