A retired Scot has been left baffled after receiving several text messages and a phone call from Test and Trace, meant for a woman in Nottingham.
Arthur Herbert, who lives in Buckie, explained that he began receiving messages from NHS Test and Trace on December 19.
He initially thought the messages regarding a Covid-19 test in Nottingham were a hoax.
However, after they kept coming he realised it could be a potential breach of data protection and set about trying to sort it.
More worringly, after receiving several more messages he began to worry the woman might not even know of her positive test result.
Mr Herbert, 75, told Nottinghamshire Live: "It started with a message at around 7.52am to say I had been registered for a test at a car park site in Nottinghamshire that morning, and that I would need to show the text or the password when I arrived.
"It was addressed to the woman's full name, with her date of birth.
"I live in north east Scotland, so I just thought it was a hoax but then the following day I got two more messages, minutes apart, which were similar both addressing the same woman.
"Again I thought it was strange, but now it was saying that this woman had tested positive and Test and Trace would be in touch for her to fill in some details."
He admitted that even at this point he thought the messages weren't real but on December 21 he received a further three messages advising the woman on what she needed to do having tested positive.
He said: "I thought then 'maybe it's not bogus' and called the number but there was just a pre-recorded message. I couldn't speak to anyone.
"My daughter tried to help me report a fault online through their website and the Test and Trace Twitter account - it just didn't make any sense."
Mr Herbert began to get increasingly concerned about the implications of a data protection breach, having been sent specific details for the woman and her results, although he did not access them.
He also expressed worry around the woman not being told about her test results.
"I then got a phone call from Test and Trace asking for the woman, which is when I was able to tell them what had happened, and I did get an apology," he said.
"But then on Wednesday 23, I got another lengthy message saying 'it's been a few days since you tested positive' again for the woman.
"I thought she may not have known about her result, and was therefore going about her business spreading Covid around Nottingham."
On Boxing Day Mr Herbert received a final message from the customer feedback team at Test and Trace.
He said: "The message explained that based on the information they had, the number had been incorrectly stored and they apologised for the incovenience.
"I still wondered if the woman knew.
"I just couldn't believe we couldn't find any method of talking to someone - some sort of number is needed.
"I'm not sure how the teams work, but all seems to be a bit confusing."
When NHS Test and Trace was contacted, it confirmed that both the NHS and UK Government deemed personal data protection a priority, by complying with the Data Protection Act and using secure computer systems.
A Department of Health and Social Care Spokesperson said: “NHS Test and Trace is processing tests at an unprecedented scale and the vast majority of people going through the system do not experience any problems.
“Over 3.7 million people who may otherwise have unknowingly spread coronavirus have been contacted and told to isolate by NHS Test and Trace.”
