DataBreaches.Net

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

UK: Grampian NHS to improve security after breaching DPA

Posted on September 14, 2009 by Dissent

Richard Carey, Chief Executive of Grampian NHS, has agreed to take action to comply with data security requirements by signing an Undertaking to assure the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) that personal data will be kept securely in future.

The ICO has found Grampian NHS in breach of the Data Protection Act after receiving reports of three separate incidents involving data security. A senior nursing manager inappropriately emailed 50 staff with sensitive personal details relating to a patient. Lack of secure storage on the labour ward enabled someone to remove the personal details of 200 patients from a confidential waste sack. Finally, a laptop containing details of patients in the gastroenterology clinic was stolen from a locked office. The laptop was not encrypted and contained personal data on 1500 patients with a particular disease.

The ICO has discovered that staff, patients and visitors could have had access to confidential waste, and that many staff have not been aware of the correct procedures for disposing of such material. It is also now clear that some staff have been using home computers for work-related tasks involving personal information and using USB sticks to transfer the work, contravening the organisation’s own policies and procedures.

Ken Macdonald, Assistant Information Commissioner – Scotland, said: “Details about people’s physical and mental health are sensitive personal data. It is vital that organisations handle personal information securely, especially where patients’ details are concerned. NHS Grampian will be taking a number of steps to improve data security to ensure that it complies with the Data Protection Act.”

A copy of the Undertaking can be downloaded from http://www.ico.gov.uk/what_we_cover/data_protection/enforcement.aspx

Source: ICO

No related posts.

Category: Health Data

Post navigation

← Former loan officer indicted for fraud and ID theft
UK: Bristol pharmacy pledges to improve security after breaching DPA →

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

  • Air Force Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Disclose Unlawfully Classified National Defense Information
  • UK police arrest four in connection with M&S, Co-op and Harrods cyberattacks (1)
  • At U.S. request, France jails Russian basketball player Daniil Kasatkin on suspicion of ransomware conspiracy
  • Avantic Medical Lab hacked; patient data leaked by Everest Group
  • Integrated Oncology Network victim of phishing attack; multiple locations affected (2)
  • HHS’ Office for Civil Rights Settles HIPAA Privacy and Security Rule Investigation with Deer Oaks Behavioral Health for $225k and a Corrective Action Plan
  • HB1127 Explained: North Dakota’s New InfoSec Requirements for Financial Corporations
  • Credit reports among personal data of 190,000 breached, put for sale on Dark Web; IT vendor fined
  • Five youths arrested on suspicion of phishing
  • Russia Jailed Hacker Who Worked for Ukrainian Intelligence to Launch Cyberattacks on Critical Infrastructure

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

  • How to Build on Washington’s “My Health, My Data” Act
  • Department of Justice Subpoenas Doctors and Clinics Involved in Performing Transgender Medical Procedures on Children
  • Google Settles Privacy Class Action Over Period Tracking App
  • ICE Is Searching a Massive Insurance and Medical Bill Database to Find Deportation Targets
  • Franklin, Tennessee Resident Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison on Multiple Cyber Stalking Charges
  • On July 7, Gemini AI will access your WhatsApp and more. Learn how to disable it on Android.
  • German court awards Facebook user €5,000 for data protection violations

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.