A privacy breach blunder has resulted in personal details of more than 600 females , some as young as 13 , who had abortions in the central North Island being given to a reporter . The data was mistakenly released by a junior staff member at the Lakes District Health Board who was assisting on an official information request made by the newspaper . The personal medical information from 2011 - 13 confirms the terminations took place in Tokoroa Hospital , Thames Hospital , Waikato Hospital and Anglesea Procedure Centre . The medical information includes dates of birth , National Health Index numbers , ethnic descriptions , termination details and the suburb in the town where the women live . The Ministry of Health is investigating and the health board has apologised for the breach . Lakes DHB chief executive Ron Dunham said it was deeply disappointing that an Excel document containing coded patient information was handed to the reporter . " Although the women can not be identified by the coded information released we are taking the situation seriously , " he said . " The DHB is working closely with the Ministry of Health and the Privacy Commissioner . I understand the concern this will cause for the affected women and I apologise for this . " A full review will be carried out by Lakes DHB supported by the Ministry of Health . A spokesman at the Office of the Privacy Commissioner said those who thought their privacy had been breached could make a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner . ;