Health chiefs have said they will take steps to ensure that an error in sending out confidential medical records doesn’t happen again.

Widower Ian Bugden was shocked to find another patient’s details among the files relating to his wife’s death.

Mr Bugden, 51, from Chatham, had been married to Pauline for nearly 29 years, so when she died at Medway Maritime Hospital, aged 49, he wanted to know all the details surrounding her death.

He applied to see the files, and, after meeting with hospital staff to outline the exact documents he needed, he was sent a bundle of papers in the post.

Turning to the back of the file, Mr Bugden was appalled to find another Medway patient’s confidential information.

Mr Bugden said: “We had to wait such a long time before we got what we wanted from the hospital. When we finally got the documents I couldn’t believe they had sent someone else’s personal information.”

The incident has been added misery for Mr Bugden who has suffered with depression since the death of his wife.

The couple first met when he was a volunteer for Medway Hospital Radio and she was a patient. Mr Bugden proposed within 24 hours. Family and friends feared they were rushing into marriage, but the devoted couple proved them wrong.

They had six children and 10 grandchildren and were only days away from their 29th wedding anniversary when she died.

A spokesman for Medway NHS Foundation Trust said an investigation had been opened into the incident.

“We take issues such as data protection and patient confidentiality very seriously. We therefore regret that following Mr Bugden’s request for his late wife’s medical records, among them was a page from another patient’s record. We are investigating how this error occurred to ensure it does not happen again.”