Community midwife - diary missing

Rochdale Infirmary

Health chiefs have written to 345 women in the Rochdale area to reassure them that their clinical care will not be affected after a community midwife reported that her diary had gone missing.

The hand-written work diary covered her appointments between January and July 2008.

Eileen Stringer, consultant midwife at Rochdale Infirmary, said today: “We would like to apologise for any inconvenience or concerns which this has caused.

“We’ve written to let women know of this issue because they have a right to know that the diary has gone missing. The letters include details of an information line in case they have any concerns. We have assured them that this in no way compromises any of their clinical care – this is a diary, not health records.

“To set some context, more than 2,000 women give birth at the Infirmary annually. There is no need for anyone who has not been contacted by us to take any action whatsoever.

“We have carried out a very extensive search for the diary, but it has not been found yet. If it is found then obviously we will let people know.”

Local GPs have also been informed and the incident has been formally reported to Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Primary Care Trust.

Following the issue being raised, Pennine Acute Trust, which runs the hospital, is reviewing of the use of hand-held diaries by staff