DataBreaches.Net

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

UK: Former hospital worker prosecuted for inappropriately accessing patient records

Posted on April 24, 2018 by Dissent

From the Information Commissioner’s Office:

A former employee of a Milton Keynes hospital trust has been prosecuted for accessing patient records without authorisation.

Michelle Harrison, of Milton Keynes, inappropriately accessed the records of 12 patients outside of her role as receptionist/general assistant in the Orthotics Department at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust between March 2016 and January 2017.

These included the patient records of her ex-partner and a woman who claimed that Ms Harrison had used the information to harass her and had complained to the Trust.

The Trust contacted the Information Commissioner’s Office in March 2017 after they had received the complaint.

Harrison pleaded guilty to unlawfully accessing personal data and unlawfully disclosing personal data in breach of s55 of the Data Protection Act 1998 at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court on Friday 20 April.  She was sentenced to offence 1 – £134, offence 2 – £166 and victim surcharge of £30.

Mike Shaw, Head of Criminal Investigations at the ICO, said:

”This abuse of a position of trust has caused significant distress to a number of people. The laws on data protection are there for a reason and people have the right to know their highly sensitive personal information will be treated with appropriate privacy and respect. The ICO will continue to take action against those who abuse their position and potentially jeopardise the important relationship of trust between patients and the NHS.”

So that’s it? If you snoop on patient records and then misuse the information to harass people, you may lose your job and get a fine of a few hundred pounds?  Am I missing something here? How is this any kind of serious deterrent? Does the prosecution under s55 create some record that will cause problems going forward that might be a deterrent?

Related posts:

  • UK: ICO called on to punish Milton Keynes Council
  • NHS Management, LLC issues updated statement about cyberattack in 2021
Category: Health DataInsiderNon-U.S.

Post navigation

← Atlanta spent at least $2.6 million on ransomware recovery
Ohio Wesleyan Alumnus Using Physics to Improve Safety of Online Information →

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

  • Horizon Healthcare RCM discloses ransomware attack in December
  • Disgruntled IT Worker Jailed for Cyber Attack, Huddersfield
  • Hacker helped kill FBI sources, witnesses in El Chapo case, according to watchdog report
  • Texas Centers for Infectious Disease Associates Notifies Individuals of Data Breach in 2024
  • Battlefords Union Hospitals notifies patients of employee snooping in their records
  • Alert: Scattered Spider has added North American airline and transportation organizations to their target list
  • 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

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

  • Supreme Court Decision on Age Verification Tramples Free Speech and Undermines Privacy
  • New Jersey Issues Draft Privacy Regulations: The New
  • Hacker helped kill FBI sources, witnesses in El Chapo case, according to watchdog report
  • 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

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.