The HSE has been fined €645,000 over personal data breaches, following an investigation into the storage of medical records at two disused psychiatric hospitals, including St Conal’s Hospital in Letterkenny.
The Primary Care Centre in Buncrana and St Joseph’s, Stranorlar were also inspected and were found to be compliant.
In 2023, two people gained unauthorised access to St Conal’s Hospital and posted videos of the conditions on social media.
The HSE then referred the incident to the DPC, which launched its investigation in May 2024.
The former hospital building is contaminated with severe mould, and the videos showed medical records being stored there.
The DPC carried out 12 inspections of HSE storage facilities, including the site in Letterkenny and St Loman’s Hospital in Mullingar, to establish whether the problem was systemic.
It found failings with the physical conditions of storage facilities and the integrity of the documents being held there, with contaminants including damp, mould and animal droppings.
The €645,000 fine comes with a reprimand and a number of corrective orders.
