Nurse faces tribunal over love rival's records

Health officials have reassured patients their medical details are safe after a nurse accessed a love rival's records more than 160 times.

The woman, who is facing a professional misconduct charge, checked the electronic files in 2007 while working at Auckland City Hospital.

She also checked the records of one of the complainant's daughters and printed seven documents for her lover - the complainant's former partner.

Despite resigning two years ago, she appeared before a Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal this week and could be banned from nursing if the charge is upheld.

The nurse told the tribunal accessing and printing the records was "the most stupid thing I have done in my life".

The offending occurred against a backdrop of breakups.

The nurse and her husband had been close friends with the complainant and her partner.

When the nurse's marriage fell apart in 2007 she started spending time with the complainant's partner for "mutual emotional support".

She denied they were having an affair but in May 2007 the complainant arrived at the nurse's Bible group and punched her in the face.

The complainant's partner left her in June 2007 and moved in with the nurse last October.

The complainant has two daughters, one fathered by her former partner and the other by another man. Both live with her former partner and the nurse.

The nurse gave two reasons for her offending.

The first was that she had the consent of the complainant's former partner as one of the children's caregivers.

The second was that she had the consent of the complainant, who wanted to complain to the health board about treatment she received at Auckland hospital.

That claim is denied by the complainant, who, in a written statement, said her former partner had threatened to expose her medical records.

Health board executive nursing director Taima Campbell said various systems were in place to protect patient information but it was not possible to eliminate all risk.

"In our experience, abuse of access privileges to gain inappropriate access to patient information is rare.

"ADHB regards this as totally unacceptable and takes appropriate action, which may result in staff dismissal and referral to the relevant professional body."

The board decided to dismiss the nurse after an investigation but she resigned first.

The tribunal is expected to reach a decision within six weeks.