GP claims PDS increases information theft

The practice of extracting confidential patient information from GP practice staff has become much more frequent since the introduction of the Personal Demographics Service according to a GP IT representative.

Dr Paul Cundy, co-chair of the Joint IT Committee of the BMA and Royal College of General Practitioners, is warning GPs and their staff to be extremely cautious before giving out confidential data over the telephone.

Dr Cundy claimed insurers, solicitors and others seeking to track down individuals were using practice staff to obtain the details they need.

He told EHI Primary Care: “Since the introduction of the PDS it has become much more common and Connecting for Health are concerned about it and have set up their own unit to deal with it. We want to support them by warning people to be on the look out for it.”

Dr Cundy said those trying to illegally obtain patient information would often telephone practices and pose as someone from the patient services authority or another practice ringing to check name and address details of a patient.

Dr Cundy added: “GP practice staff must not reveal any information over the telephone unless they are absolutely certain about the identity of the caller.”

Dr Cundy also advised practices to review their protocols for dealing with requests for patient information to ensure they would not be caught out.

The Information Commissioner’s Office last year said it had uncovered evidence of a widespread and organised undercover market in confidential personal information.