00:02Michelle Buckley vividly remembers the moment she was told she was supposed to be dead.
00:07I just felt like this time stood still and I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
00:14In May police had mistakenly told Miss Buckley's family she had died after another woman's body was found in Melbourne's
00:21West
00:22with patient documents from Werribee Hospital identifying the woman as Miss Buckley.
00:27The whole family was devastated. My aunt had to go and stay with my cousins for a week or so
00:34because she was so upset.
00:36For months Werribee Hospital had been treating the other woman using Miss Buckley's identity.
00:41In fact, it wasn't until Miss Buckley checked her profile on My Health Record that she realised the other woman's
00:47medical history
00:48had been mixed with her own even though she'd never been treated at the hospital.
00:52I just can't believe that my local hospital that I actually have never attended could have used my file to
01:03treat another person for some time.
01:05To make masses worse, Miss Buckley had also been undergoing medical care.
01:10I thought, oh my God, have I been given the right results?
01:13During a meeting between Miss Buckley and the hospital last month, a representative admitted the other woman told staff on
01:21four occasions that her details were incorrect but no action was taken.
01:25The woman was said to have been homeless with a name similar to Miss Buckley.
01:30I've never seen a case like this before.
01:32Miss Buckley is now taking legal action.
01:35So rare and so novel that it's almost as if in terms of investigating this claim we have to do
01:41things differently.
01:42In a statement, Mercy Health said it was deeply sorry to the patients and family involved
01:46and that every patient has the right to expect their identity and health information are managed safely and accurately.
01:53It's really hard for me to get my head around that it's still that it's even happened,
01:58but I'd like to make sure it doesn't happen to anybody else.
02:02The hospital is conducting a review.
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