LONDON, Jan 10 (Reuters) – A hospital admitted Thursday it mistakenly sent letters to 30 patients, including six elderly men, telling them they were pregnant.
They were sent by a computer system that automatically generates letters telling patients their operations have been postponed.
“The girl operating the system has simply chosen the wrong option. It’s human error,” a spokeswoman for the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Royal Hospital said.
The computer letters include a “reason” selected by a staff member.
None of the surprised patients turned out to actually be expecting a baby, the spokeswoman said.
She said working practices had been changed to ensure the mistake would not be repeated. The patients concerned were still on waiting lists and would receive their operations as planned.
