Although I do not include them in the chronologies of medical privacy breaches available on this site, I do note medical privacy breaches in other countries. Two more reports out of the U.K. this morning are noteworthy.
The first involves the Telford & Wrekin Primary Care Trust:
A laptop with confidential information about more than 200 children – including their names, addresses, dates of birth and treatment – has been stolen from a Shropshire medical centre.
The thief walked into Madeley Health Centre, Telford, while a speech and language therapist was running a clinic, unplugged her laptop from an adjoining room and walked off with it.
Health chiefs quickly deactivated the laptop to ensure it could not be used to access general NHS data.
But a memory stick plugged into the machine carried details on 238 children, giving their names, addresses, dates of birth and speech and language therapy treatment.
Read More – The Shropshire Star
The second incident involves the Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust. Alex Galbinski reports:
A laptop was stolen from Barnet Hospital last month, prompting fears that patients’ data could be compromised.
The computer was taken from the offices of the Stoma Care Service at the hospital, in Wellhouse Lane, Barnet.
The hospital is used by two thirds of Hertsmere patients.
[…]
A Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust spokeswoman said: “The laptop held a database of stoma care patients.
“The database is login and password protected and a separate Trust login and password is required to operate the laptop.
Read More – Borehamwood & Elstree Times