Medical records and bank details left in abandoned Westbury House nursing home in West Meon

The documents, which included medical records, bank details and contact information, have been discovered in Westbury House in West Meon. 

A BBC report shows that boxes and boxes of files have been left abandoned in what was the nursing home’s sitting room. 

Westbury House was shut down in June 2016 after the Care Quality Commission de-commissioned it to ‘protect the safety and welfare’ of the residents. 

The 30 people who were living in the nursing home at the time, which provided 24-hour care to patients with mental health problem and the elderly, were moved out straight away. 

The building has since been left abandoned and in the BBC report it is claimed that the back door was open and the property was easily accessible. 

In the boxes left abandoned in the old nursing home were files belonging to patients who had lived in it at one time or another as well as staff who had worked at Westbury House. 

These included bank details, contact information and even photographs of the former residents and the medical conditions they suffered from. 

Sharon Eppey, who’s father lived in the care home for 10 years, told the BBC: ‘Just amazed that it’s not been dealt with properly and its just been left like that. I’m in shock.

‘Why wouldn’t they close up a business and get rid of information like this?’ 

Breaches of data protection law can carry heavy fines with the maximum penalty being £17.24 million or 4 per cent of a company’s worldwide turnover. 

Dr Usha Naqvi, who is the owner of Westbury House, told the BBC that she kept the records in the basement under lock and key, and says that she has now hired a company to dispose of the documents. 

Westbury House served as a nursing home for 30 years before being shut down in June 2016.  

The building dates back hundreds of years but is now in a state of disrepair after it was shut down.