HIV and cancer records found in a courier bag in the street

London: Ministers faced a fresh data protection furore after nearly 200 documents detailing patients' HIV, cancer and other test results were found in the street.

Police are to be called in to investigate how the highly confidential papers were left in a motorcycle bag close to Kingston Hospital.

Hospital chiefs are writing to patients whose personal test results, which included in some cases their names, dates of birth, GP details and NHS number, were abandoned on a busy road.

MPs called for an independent investigation into the apparent major breach of personal data which is understood to include tests for sexual diseases and hepatitis, as well as details about individuals treated for schizophrenia, others attending addiction and conception clinics and women who had suffered miscarriages.

Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said: "This delivers yet another blow to patient confidence about the security of their personal information.

"It must be very distressing for the patients concerned. I urge the hospitals concerned to undertake an immediate investigation and present their measures for securing data."

The 173 documents, which included batches being sent to the Roehampton Clinic and also Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton, were found on Kingston Hill after lunch-time on Friday by a passer-by and handed to local paper The Surrey Comet.

A Kingston Hospital spokeswoman said: "We take the loss of any patient information very seriously, and all the patients involved will be written to personally offering sincere apologies. A full investigation is under way and it is likely that the police will be asked to assist."

However, Kingston and Surbiton Liberal Democrat MP Ed Davey called for outside experts to carry out an inquiry.

He said: "There needs to be an independent investigation with people external from the hospital to find out what went wrong."