Trust loses cancer patient data
Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust has been criticised by the Information Commissioner for losing three unencrypted USB sticks containing sensitive information about cancer patients.
News
PDS access requires ‘business reason’
Staff accessing the Personal Demographics Service must have an appropriate ‘business reason’ for doing so, but need not have a legitimate relationship with a patient, according to NHS Connecting for Health. The Department of Health’s IT agency has published new guidance on managing access to the PDS, which sets out rules for access and the action […]
News
GPs warned about fake DPA agencies
GP practices have been warned to look out for bogus data protection firms posing as official government bodies. Londonwide Local Medical Committees has alerted its GPs after it was informed that many organisations were being targeted for the scam. The LMC said letters requesting up to £135 for notification under the Data Protection Act often […]
News
Practice server found in car park
An Ipswich GP has been rapped by the Information Commissioner’s Office after a computer server holding sensitive information was found in the practice car park. Dr Paul Thomas of the Gipping Valley Practice agreed to sign an undertaking to abide by the Data Protection Act after a server containing “the sensitive personal information of a […]
News
Imperial breaches the DPA
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has become the latest NHS organisation to be required to sign an undertaking not to breach the Data Protection Act by the Information Commissioner’s Office. The undertaking says six laptops were stolen in two burglaries at St Mary’s Hospital, one of which was unencrypted even though it held patient details. […]
News
Hospitals breaking DPA every day
The BMA says hospitals are breaking the Data Protection Act on a daily basis by sending referral correspondence to the senior partner in a practice.
News
BCS and ICO join Coroners protest
The British Computer Society and the Information Commissioner’s Office have joined the growing swell of concern about the data sharing provisions of the Coroners and Justice Bill. The BCS says it is concerned that the Bill, which is now making its way through Parliament, “runs counter to the intentions and provisions of the Data Protection […]
News
Another PCT rapped over data loss
The Information Commissioner’s Office has taken enforcement action against another NHS body for a breach of the Data Protection Act. Hastings and Rother Primary Care Trust has become the eighth health service organisation since November and the second PCT this month to be asked to sign a formal undertaking to comply with the DPA following […]
News
Brent PCT rapped over data loss
A third English NHS Trust in the space of a month has been required to take enforcement action by the Information Commissioner’s Office.
News
Two NHS trusts rapped over data losses
The Information Commisioner’s Office has taken enforecment action against two NHS trusts for data losses that placed them in breach of the Data Protection Act. The ICO found Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS Trust and Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust were both in breach of the DPA for failing to secure patient […]
News