THE 13 Bolton patients whose confidential medical records were discovered on a computer part bought by an estate agent have yet to be informed about the blunder.

Health chiefs will not contact the Royal Bolton Hospital patients involved until they have retrieved the computer memory stick and inspected the records it contains.

Until then the patients affected will continue to be kept in the dark, it has been revealed.

An investigation has been launched into how the confidential records of cancer patients were discovered on the computer stick bought in Crewe by estate agent Dawn Rozzell.

The computer part contained the details of 13 cancer sufferers, their dates of birth, home addresses, telephone numbers, family medical histories and GP details.

Patients watchdog groups and Bolton MPs have criticised the computer blunder and welcomed the news that an investigation has been launched.

Today hospital chiefs admitted they were "at a loss" to explain how the hospital computer stick managed to find its way to a computer shop in Crewe.

And they revealed that copying information about patients at the hospital on such disposable media is "not usual practice".

The computer item was bought two weeks ago by estate agent, Dawn Rozzell.

She believed it was a blank stick -- until she got it home and discovered it contained the confidential medical details from patients at the Bolton hospital.

Today, as hospital chiefs were coming under pressure to explain how there could have been such a series breach of confidentiality, it was revealed that the memory stick -- which is the size of a cigarette lighter -- was sold as a new item. It came in a box complete with instructions.

Miss Rozzell, aged 31, bought the computer stick to transfer information from her desktop computer to her laptop. She bought it from a supplier she has used for 10 years.

When she opened the stick's contents on screen she believed it would be empty yet there were three files.

They contained personal information about the 13 patients and details on waiting times at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

Hospital bosses are believed to be travelling to Crewe today to collect the computer stick.

Miss Rozzell said: "The files were full of hospital terminology and I just sat there gobsmacked. I couldn't believe that I had access to such sensitive information.

"If it included details of my family I would be pig sick. This sort of detail should never leave the confines of the hospital. There was information on the patients and GPs.

"None of this should have been let out. It's an utter disgrace."

Police have not yet been informed, according to a spokesman at the hospital.

Health chiefs were informed about the blunder over the weekend.

The hospital's computer services department say disks should be wiped and destroyed once they are used.

Even if it does, MPs in the town question the wisdom in allowing any recordable and portable media such as memory sticks -- a more up-to-date version of floppy discs -- to be sold. There is also a question as to how the stick could have been sold as new. The supplier is making its own investigation.

There are indications, however, that the stick could have been stolen. Police would be informed if there has been a breach of the law, bosses say. The hospital's policy documents state: "If a hard disk or floppy diskette contains sensitive or valuable material it should be reformated prior to disposal or removed and destroyed."

David Crausby, MP for Bolton North-east, said: "It's a concerning breach of security. I'm pleased there's an investigation but it an urgent matter which needs serious attention." "I would be surprised if the hospital is selling this kind of thing onto the second-hand market. I think there could well be a need to investigate if other records have got away. That gap would need to be plugged." A spokesman for the hospital said: "The matter is undergoing a complete investigation and is being taken very seriously."

Dr Brian Iddon, MP for Bolton South-east, said: "This is inexcusable. Before anything like this is sold on, it is vital that the information contained on it is cleared. It is actually better not to sell this sort of thing on at all.

"I will be talking to the hospital for a full explanation on this. If the memory stick was stolen then that would be a completely different issue and would pose many more security-related questions."