Woman shocked as Royal Mail sends sensitive medical records through post with no envelope

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/woman-sh ... s-27461643

A lifetime of medical records and other sensitive personal information was sent through the Royal Mail with no envelope - and said she feels severely let down that a stranger could have read them

Woman shocked as Royal Mail sent her sensitive medical records through the post with no envelope

A woman has been left "in shock" after all her sensitive medical records were sent through the Royal Mail - without an envelope or stamp.

India Hanning, 30, was sent a copy of her medical notes after a visit with a private rheumatologist.

These records covered her whole life, from childhood up until the age of 30, and included her date of birth, phone number, name and NHS number.

But she was left gobsmacked on May 11 when these notes dropped through her letterbox without an envelope - and could have been read by a stranger.

"I was in a state of shock, it was utter disbelief," she told The Mirror. "It was just a thick bundle of pages folded in half.

"I spoke to the man at the sorting office, raging - I was so angry. He couldn't guarantee me that nobody had read the documents."

The incident, which saw some of India's most personal information open to being read, shook the family's trust in the Royal Mail.

The family discovered the letter had been sent through three separate Royal Mail sorting offices loose before arriving at India's home.

The letter was put in an envelope by rheumatologist staff, but somehow came loose in the first sorting office in Manchester, where it was franked.

The letter made it all the way to India's home because her address was printed on the top sheet - which could have been read through the original envelope's window.

India's mother Susan complained to the Royal Mail, who told her to chase them after 30 days if she hadn't heard back.

Forty-nine days later, Susan had heard nothing back from the Royal Mail so asked for a response.

"The man I spoke to said 'your complaint doesnt warrant a reply'," Susan said. "It's the treatment from them - it's utter disrespect."

Normally when Royal Mail staff spot a letter with no envelope, the item is put into a bag and sent on.

But this privacy measure failed in India's case - and for some of the most private documents it is possible to imagine.


Susan then complained to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which oversees data privacy in the UK.

But ICO rules mean the Royal Mail is not responsible for data breaches if an item loses an envelope going through the post.

After The Mirror intervened, the Royal Mail apologised to the Hannings and offered £50 as a goodwill gesture.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “When an item of mail has come out of its envelope, the correct procedure is to place it in a bag for delivery, rather than delivering it loose.

"We are very sorry not to have followed that procedure on this occasion, and have contacted the customer to apologise.”

[scoobydo79]

Hardly RMs fault. It’s the fault of the sender!!

[aiden01]

Hardly RMs fault. It’s the fault of the sender!!

Sender put it in envelope so hardly senders fault
Why was it allowed through 3 seperate offices an nobody bothered there asses to put it in a plastic bag where damaged mail goes

[SpacePhoenix]

If it went through the machines then probably the envelope was not sealed properly and the vaccum in the machine has pulled the contents out. If the machine has enough of the address it'll sort it to the relevant sequencing batch and it'll then have gone through an IMP/iLSM/CSS to be sequenced. Realistically the first opportunity for it to have been put in a bag would have been at the DO

[scoobydo79]

Hardly RMs fault. It’s the fault of the sender!!

Sender put it in envelope so hardly senders fault
Why was it allowed through 3 seperate offices an nobody bothered there asses to put it in a plastic bag where damaged mail goes

No .Sender put it in an envelope that wasn’t up to the job.

[aiden01]

Hardly RMs fault. It’s the fault of the sender!!

Sender put it in envelope so hardly senders fault
Why was it allowed through 3 seperate offices an nobody bothered there asses to put it in a plastic bag where damaged mail goes

No .Sender put it in an envelope that wasn’t up to the job.

That is a possibility but still does'nt explain how it went through 3 offices an still nobody thought of putting into a sealed bag.

[30+YEARMAN]

Was it put in an envelope or bag before it was delivered ?.

[SpacePhoenix]

Hardly RMs fault. It’s the fault of the sender!!

Sender put it in envelope so hardly senders fault
Why was it allowed through 3 seperate offices an nobody bothered there asses to put it in a plastic bag where damaged mail goes

No .Sender put it in an envelope that wasn’t up to the job.

That is a possibility but still does'nt explain how it went through 3 offices an still nobody thought of putting into a sealed bag.

If you view the original article you can see the orange barcode that's been printed on it by an IMP or iLSM. Most likely the envelope wasn't sealed properly and the suction from the vacuum in the feed of the first machine it went through has sucked the contents out the envelope. Unless someone physically looks at every letter in every stacker you're not going to notice a letter with no envelope, same with the iLSM or IMP at the inward MC and with the IMP or iLSM or CSS at the inward MC