Upon arrival at the location on 17th June 2006 the team discovered what appeared to be administrative documentation scattered on the floor of the former Mortuary and photographs of the former residents dumped on the floor of Ward Eleven's basement. The team returned to the location on 1st July only to find further documentation strewn across Ward Fourteen and Fifteen's rear corridor. The issue was reported to the site owners and we did not return to the location until November 2006. It was at this point we entered the Main Building and discovered large amounts of patient identifiable information and so the following day Karen contacted Dundee University Archives who asked to see some of the documentation - a range of samples including ALL patient photographs were handed over to the University and realising the severity of the issue in turn contacted NHS Tayside. We returned to the location a further three times before discovering a vast amount of documentation was 'missing' from Ward Fourteen (4th February 2007). Karen contacted NHS Tayside's Gerry Marr who arranged for a member of staff to call her - she was met with threats of having her PC removed 'under the data protection act' and was branded a 'Data Protection Risk' - she agreed to cease research to allow them to 'clean sweep' the site.
Having received a letter during April 2007 from NHS Tayside informing they had completed their work on site, we returned to resume research and found that documentation still remained on site - in fact some places had been cleared although 'new' documentation appeared in places they previously had not (?!). It was clear from a further two visits that Month that very little had been touched and so another call was placed to NHS Tayside.nothing happened.
During June 2007 we discovered architectural drawings for not only the Strathmartine site but for a number of NHS Tayside properties ranging in date from 1853 to 1993 again NHS Tayside were contacted and the issues discussed at local level. We were advised it was in the process of being dealt with and did not return to the site until 25th November 2007 when further documents were discovered within Ward Fifteen.
And now for the ridiculous bit Karen immediately called NHS Tayside, Public Health Minister; Shona Robison and The Courier.The Courier ran a small piece although were advised by NHS Tayside that they had dealt with the incident and no further documentation remained (?), Shona Robison wrote a few letters and was advised by Sandy Watson OBE that Karen had returned to the site with NHS Tayside and a clean sweep had taken place when actually it had not. Karen and Donna attended meetings with the Estates team who promised they would return to site and fully sweep it, we were invited although on the day the owner refused Karen and Donna entry.Karen marked the location of documents on a scale map/plan (including under the floor of the cottage) for NHS reps and later that day she was advised they had removed some documentation and that the Estates manager would personally return to remove the remaining items.
Karen and Donna attended a meeting with Estates and Danny McLaren (Ass. C.E), they were advised of the measures taken on site although Karen didnt quite believe it and decided it was time to return to the hospital to find out for herself. She returned to site on 5th April 2008 and conducted a site tour only to find that not one document had been moved, she took a number of photographs and video footage and returned home to email the evidence to NHS Tayside, she returned to site once again on 19th April to discover 8mm cine film reels and patient identifiable information within the attic, it appeared to have just moved there.
Following this Karen delivered an ultimatum; deal with it within four weeks or I go public - enough is enough. They didnt...She did!!!!
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Pt. 2 Strathmartine Hospital 'Document Debacle' - The Clean Sweep Beginsby ParaResearchScot292 views
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