A former senior oncologist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital convicted of obtaining the personal particulars of 2,000 of his patients from a clerk before he left the hospital was fined HK$50,000 yesterday.
Paddy Chan Tak-ming, 46, had told the clerk to access the hospital's computer system and printed out the names and addresses on labels, Kowloon City Court had heard. He later sent letters to the patients regarding his move into private practice.
Magistrate David Thomas convicted him after a trial on one count of misconduct in public office. Chan had pleaded not guilty. The offences happened in January and February 2007.
Chan had served at the hospital since 1989 and tendered his resignation on January 5, 2007. He started his private practice two months later, the court was told.
In passing his sentence, Thomas said he did not understand why the Hospital Authority did not set out more 'direct and explicit guidelines' if it was common for doctors to move into private practice.
The Hospital Authority, in a written statement yesterday, said it had set out procedures and codes for staff to follow that ensured the confidentiality of the patients' information and the safety of the hospital information system.
