DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

UK: NHS hit by new data losses

Posted on August 24, 2008 by Dissent
Kate Foster of Scotland on Sunday reports:
THE loss of confidential personal data has become so widespread that patients’ groups last night launched a campaign to tighten up security in the NHS.

The move comes as Scotland on Sunday reveals hundreds of cases of breaches concerning patients’ notes. Two lost USB computer memory sticks containing clinical information are among almost 200 cases of missing patient data in the past three years, Scottish health boards have admitted.

The memory sticks were stolen from an office at NHS Dumfries and Galloway in May. The disclosure, released following a Freedom of Information request by this newspaper, follows a series of damning revelations about missing personal data that have shaken public confidence in Government computer systems.

Yesterday a spokesman for NHS Dumfries and Galloway insisted individuals could not be identified from the missing clinical information because their names were not recorded in the files.

But other breaches of patient confidentiality across the country range from staff leaving notes lying around to theft of computers. They include:

  • Six cases of stolen IT equipment in NHS Lanarkshire;
  • Two break-ins where computers were stolen in NHS Fife;
  • Health visitor patient records reported missing in transit by NHS Lothian;
  • Patient notes being left in laundry trolleys, dining rooms and photocopiers by staff at NHS Borders.
  • Although many of the cases involved the notes of individual patients, some concerned electronic files which can potentially hold the details of thousands of individuals.

Last night Margaret Watt, chairwoman of the Scotland Patients Association, said: “This is totally unacceptable and it is happening so much it has become a campaign issue for us. Patients should be made aware of these breaches.”

Full story – Scotland on Sunday

No related posts.

Category: Health Data

Post navigation

← Data miners track docs' habits
Who's reading your medical files today? →

1 thought on “UK: NHS hit by new data losses”

  1. Anonymous says:
    August 25, 2008 at 6:57 am

    It could be worse … maybe. http://notnews.today.com/?p=36

Comments are closed.

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Northern Light Health patients affected by security incident at Compumedics; 10 healthcare entities affected
  • Privacy commissioner reviewing reported Ontario Health atHome data breach
  • CMS warns Medicare providers of fraud scheme
  • Ex-student charged with wave of cyber attacks on Sydney uni
  • Detaining Hackers Before the Crime? Tamil Nadu’s Supreme Court Approves Preventive Custody for Cyber Offenders
  • Potential Cyberattack Scrambles Columbia University Computer Systems
  • 222,000 customer records allegedly from Manhattan Parking Group leaked
  • Breaches have consequences (sometimes) (1)
  • Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty for Hacking a Non-Profit
  • British national “IntelBroker” charged with causing $25 million in damages; U.S. seeks his extradition from France

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • Germany Wants Apple, Google to Remove DeepSeek From Their App Stores
  • Supreme Court upholds Texas law requiring age verification on porn sites
  • Justices nix Medicaid ‘right’ to choose doctor, defunding Planned Parenthood in South Carolina
  • European Commission publishes its plan to enable more effective law enforcement access to data
  • Sacred Secrets: The Biblical Case for Privacy and Data Protection
  • Microsoft’s Departing Privacy Chief Calls for Regulator Outreach
  • Nestle USA Settles Suit Over Job-Application Medical Questions

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.