PATIENT notes from Wycombe Hospital are being sent thousands of miles to India for typing, because of a lack of staff to do the job.

Letters dictated between GPs and consultants have been delivered via computers to the far-off country for the last two years, from two departments at the hospital in Queen Alexandra Road because of a nationwide lack of medical secretaries.

Cllr Pauline Wilkinson, vice-chairman of the overview and scrutiny committee for public health services at Bucks County Council said she was "gobsmacked" by the news. She said: "I am completely baffled. I have never heard of this before. We have had regular meetings and they have never given us the impression there was a problem with recruitment."

Patients have also expressed their anger. Barry Mintz, 60, a gardener for Age Concern from Furlong Road, Bourne End, said: "I am disgusted by it. Nobody wants things going away from where they live. I know a lot of people who would be grateful for a job. I am sure there are people who would not mind doing administration work like that."

Pat Taylor, 66, from Charnwood Close, High Wycombe, said: "I think it's dreadful."

The dermatology and cardiology units use a third party company, called Dscribe, that transcribes files electronically recorded by medical staff at the hospital on a digital recording device.

Confidential information such as the patient's name, address and medical number are only added once the documents have been typed up and sent back to Wycombe.

John Fisher, communications manager for the Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "It is something common place across the NHS. The service is very efficient, confidential, and ensures GPs have information relating to their patients as soon as possible.

"Although the trust does take on trainees, and offers in-house training for those who wish to pursue a career as a medical secretary, it is an occupation the NHS as a whole finds it difficult to recruit to."

Lorraine Pascoe, executive manager at recruitment agency Select Appointments in Oxford Street, High Wycombe, said: "Medical secretaries are difficult to find. We have had two medical secretaries register in the last six months."