A NEW database of medical records has come under the spotlight after a villager received a letter telling him about the service – which included another resident’s letter too.

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Geoff Field of Welwyn told the Welwyn Hatfield Times he received a confidential note telling him his medical records could be put on the ‘secure database’.

But he was shocked to find a similar confidential letter inside his envelope – addressed to a WGC woman.

The letter, one of nearly a million sent by the primary care trust out across the county and signed by chief executive Anne Walker, contains their NHS numbers, but no other medical information.

Retired Mr Field said: “They clearly haven’t got any control over the people stuffing the envelopes.

“The letter is heavy handed and patronising, quite frankly I think it doesn’t imply good data protection.”

A spokeswoman for NHS East and North Hertfordshire said: “Having patient records available electronically on this new system will provide doctors and other clinical staff with vital details about a patient’s medical history and, in emergency situations where time is critical, this will save lives.

“We have been made aware of an issue where more than one letter has been placed in an envelope in error.

“We believe that this was an isolated incident and will undertake a thorough investigation.”