BLOWING IN THE WIND

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--------------- Forwarded Story ---------------

Headline: CJD VICTIM'S MEDICAL NOTES FOUND IN STREET

Wire Service: PA (PA News)

Date: Thu, Apr 15, 1999

Copyright 1999 PA News. Copying, storing, redistribution, retransmission,

publication, transfer or commerical exploitation of this information is

expressly forbidden.

By Harriet Tolputt, PA News

Health authority officials were today investigating how the confidential

medical records of a man who died from mad cow disease were found in the

street.

The notes about abattoir worker Keat, 25, who died from

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in February, were discovered blowing along a

street in the village of Bempton, East Yorkshire.

The photocopies were handed in to the Bridlington Free Press newspaper,

along with the mental health medical notes of two other patients, after an

anonymous telephone call.

A spokeswoman from East Yorkshire Community Healthcare NHS Trust said

they were treating the find very seriously.

She said: " The notes would have been made available to a number of

different people legitimately. We have no idea how they came to be handed

in to the newspaper.

" A full investigation has been launched and we are hoping to get to the

bottom of this matter very quickly.

" The notes on Mr Keat do not relate to the CJD and the other people who

are involved have been informed. "

Mr Keat's parents Ian and , who live in Somerset, were said to be

to be angered about the lack of confidentially.

Mrs Keat said it was distressing as they were trying to get over their

son's death.

Ian Keat, 46, said when he heard his son's records had been found it was

like a " slap in the face. "

" It was awful, something we didn't need. He had only been dead for six

weeks and my wife was just starting to pick herself up.

" We are still struggling and now she has been knocked straight back down

again, " he said.

Mr Keat added: " We want to know who, why and how?

" I have seen my MP and have been in touch with a solicitor about this. "

His son had been a happy, healthy, newly-wed, he said.

Then in July last year the caring father-of-one turned in to an

aggressive, violent man.

Mr Keat said: " He was a loving husband, father and son, very outgoing, a

healthy, strapping lad.

" He just completely changed around and became the opposite of what he

was. "

Mr Keat junior was then admitted to hospital, but it was only when his

parents approached the doctors that they began to suspect it could be the

human form of mad cow disease.

Mr Keat added: " It took 42 telephone calls before they began to take

note.

" My aim now is to have a co-ordinator in each health authority to

organise care for patients with the disease, because it isn't going to go

away. "