A London clinic specializing in the treatment of sexually transmitted infections has released the names of 780 HIV patients.
A serious blunder. In London, a clinic mistakenly disclosed the names of 780 HIV patients, reports the British newspaper The Guardian. The establishment in question is a private center specializing in the treatment of AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.
A newsletter at the origin of the error
The error was made through a newsletter sent to these patients, in which the names and e-mail addresses, as well as information on the care pathways, were revealed. The author of the blunder, who says he is “upset”, failed to erase this information before sending the newsletter.
The clinic, located at 56 Dean Street, apologized and asked the recipients of the list to “delete immediately, please” the email in question. In addition to the violation of medical confidentiality that it constitutes, this error could have serious consequences on the lives of these patients.
Indeed, some have been hiding their HIV status for years, including from their relatives. A patient thus discovered the disease of several people around him when he received this email. He announced his willingness to file a complaint, specifies The Guardian.
“I can’t believe it’s possible,” one of the patients told the newspaper. There is now no way to control who has access to this information. In the wrong hands, this list is dynamite ”.
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