Intern doctor reported to police over patient records

The Hospital Authority (HA) has filed a report to police after a trainee doctor was suspected of using someone else's login credentials to browse patient records without permission. In a statement released on Wednesday, the authority confirmed the new allegations are levelled at the same trainee doctor who, just two days earlier, was found to have taken an unauthorised X‑ray of her own knee and posted it on social media, calling it a "perk" of being an intern doctor. In the latest development, the HA said the trainee doctor allegedly used another person's account to log into the clinical management system at Caritas Medical Centre to access patient records from Tuen Mun Hospital. The authority has reported the matter to police and said they will fully cooperate with the investigation. It added that a comprehensive review of the relevant patient records were conducted to ensure patient safety was not compromised. The HA described the situation as extremely serious, saying that it affects the professional image of healthcare workers. A spokesperson said that any behaviour that undermines patient safety and the professional conduct of doctors would not be tolerated. The HA said that it had previously issued a serious warning to the trainee doctor for inappropriate behaviour during her internship at Ruttonjee Hospital, where she was suspected of asking another doctor to perform an examination on a patient. In addition, disciplinary action has already been taken against both the trainee doctor and a resident doctor for misconduct at Caritas Medical Centre. The HA said it would continue to investigate whether the trainee doctor or other doctors are involved in any other misconduct. If any violation of professional standards is confirmed, the authority would refer the case to the Medical Council for follow-up. The HA has also notified the medical school of the relevant university to follow up on the trainee doctor's assessment of being fit for practice. Edited by Aaron Tam