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ICO 'increasingly concerned' about NHS data safety

Kable

Published: 27 Mar 2009 09:48 GMT

The Information Commissioner's Office says it is 'increasingly concerned' about the NHS's protection of data as it takes action against Camden Primary Care Trust.

The trust left old computers, which contained the names, addresses and medial notes of 2,500 patients, beside a skip inside the grounds of St Pancras Hospital last summer.

None of the discarded computers was encrypted. They are understood to have been removed from where they were left without authorisation and were never recovered.

The Information Commissioner's Office has taken enforcement action against Camden Primary Care Trust for breaching the Data Protection Act by failing to safeguard the security of people's personal details. If the trust fails to meet the terms of the enforcement notice it could be prosecuted.

Mick Gorrill, assistant information commissioner, said: "Individuals must feel confident that their personal health records will be handled properly by NHS bodies. Over 2,500 individuals may have suffered anxiety as a result of this breach with the worry that their medical records could fall into the wrong hands. This incident highlights organisational error and will no doubt damage public trust in the NHS locally.

"I am increasingly concerned about the way some NHS organisations dispose of sensitive patient information. Organisations need to ensure they implement appropriate safeguards to ensure personal details about patients are disposed of in compliance with the Data Protection Act."