DataBreaches.Net

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

UK: Pharmacist who unlawfully spied on family and friends’ medical records prosecuted

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Dissent

From the Information Commissioner’s Office:

A pharmacist who worked for West Sussex Primary Care Trust has been prosecuted by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) after unlawfully accessing the medical records of family members, work colleagues and local health professionals.

Appearing at Barkingside Magistrates Court today, Harkanwarjit Dhanju, 50, was prosecuted under section 55 of the Data Protection Act and fined £1000, ordered to pay a £100 victim surcharge and £608.30 prosecution costs.

Dhanju unlawfully accessed the patients’ records while working as a sessional pharmacist at Tile House Surgery, Mount Avenue Surgery and Rockleigh Court Surgery. At the time, Dhanju had responsibility for handling medication reviews for patients in local residential care homes with dementia and other mental health issues. However, during a routine audit, the surgery manager at Tile House Surgery uncovered that Dhanju was using his security pass to access unrelated medical records. The matter was reported to the ICO on 22 February 2014.

ICO Head of Enforcement, Stephen Eckersley, said:

“There is no justifiable reason why Dhanju needed to spy on the medical treatment of all of these people. However, he knew he was committing a criminal offence but he decided to carry on regardless.

“The public will be rightly concerned that a medical professional in a position of trust decided to act in this way. We hope today’s prosecution sends a clear message to anyone who may be tempted to do likewise, that unlawfully accessing people’s medical records is a criminal offence and will result with you being rewarded with a day in court.”

Unlawfully obtaining or accessing personal data is a criminal offence under section 55 of the Data Protection Act 1998. The offence is punishable by way of ‘fine only’ – up to £5,000 in a Magistrates Court or an unlimited fine in a Crown Court. The ICO continues to call for more effective deterrent sentences, including the threat of prison in the most serious cases, to be available to the courts to stop the unlawful use of personal information.

Category: Uncategorized

Post navigation

← Retailers are skirting data security issue, NAFCU, trades tell Congress
NHS breaches data laws 'six times a day' →

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

  • Nigerian National Sentenced To More Than Five Years For Hacking, Fraud, And Identity Theft Scheme
  • Data breach of patient info ends in firing of Miami hospital employee
  • Texas DOT investigates breach of crash report records, sends notification letters
  • PowerSchool hacker pleads guilty, released on personal recognizance bond
  • Rewards for Justice offers $10M reward for info on RedLine developer or RedLine’s use by foreign governments
  • New evidence links long-running hacking group to Indian government
  • Zaporizhzhia Cyber ​​Police Exposes Hacker Who Caused Millions in Losses to Victims by Mining Cryptocurrency
  • Germany fines Vodafone $51 million for privacy, security breaches
  • Google: Hackers target Salesforce accounts in data extortion attacks
  • The US Grid Attack Looming on the Horizon

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

  • California county accused of using drones to spy on residents
  • How the FBI Sought a Warrant to Search Instagram of Columbia Student Protesters
  • Germany fines Vodafone $51 million for privacy, security breaches
  • Malaysia enacts data sharing rules for public sector
  • U.S. Enacts Take It Down Act
  • 23andMe Bankruptcy Judge Ponders Trump Bill’s Injunction Impact
  • Hell No: The ODNI Wants to Make it Easier for the Government to Buy Your Data Without Warrant

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.