From: Ian blenkharn@ianblenkharn.com
Category: Miscellaneous
Date: 16 Feb 2008
Time: 12:55:31 +0100
Remote Name: 86.134.111.185
"THE personal records of more than 3,000 patients have been dumped at a landfill site - causing fresh embarrassment for Bolton's health chiefs.
"Details of 3,200 people were thrown away with ordinary rubbish rather than being shredded or burned in line with procedure.
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk:80/display.var.2038489.0.3_000_patient_record_dumped_in_landfill.php
Though bulk record disposals such as these might be managed by specialist waste disposal contractors, those with front line experience of the day-to-day realities of NHS life will be well aware that much confidential paperwork is disposed at the ward and clinic level.
This constant stream comprising, at any one time, perhaps just a few sheets of paper doesn't justify a shredder of dedicated container for confidential off-site disposal.
So what happens? It goes into the clinical waste sack, that provides a practical and pragmatic disposal option. Unfortunately, those who seek to dictate from afar a level of waste segregation at source that prohibits this convenient co-disposal to great disservice to the healthcare establishment, and to patients.
What price experience?
First posted 16-Feb-2008