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Seven laptops containing the private details of 30,000 NHS patients were in unknown hands last night after they were stolen in two separate raids. Both of the robberies prove that patients’ information was stored on the computers in contravention of Health Service guidelines about the handling of confidential data. In the first incident, six computers loaded with details of 20,000 patients, including their names, dates of birth and postcodes, were taken from a south London hospital. St Georges in Tooting apologised and told patients their data were stored on password-protected laptops only because there was a glitch with the central IT network. In the second data theft, a laptop containing patients’ details as well as their medical histories was taken from a Wolverhampton GP’s home. This laptop was also unencrypted. “The confidential information on the laptop which has been stolen was protected by a complex password system and only someone with specialist knowledge would be able to crack it,” said Jon Crockett, chief executive of Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust. “The practice had also believed that the laptop was encrypted…However, it later found this was not the case.” According to the Department of Health, any confidential information about patients must be stored in a secure environment and that mobile devices, including laptops, which contain such data must be fully protected by encryption. Ministers are also bound by similar rules following a string of data losses. However this week an unencrypted laptop containing confidential government files was stolen from the constituency office of Hazel Blears, the communities secretary. Chris Huhne for the Liberal Democrats reflected: “Cabinet ministers have just ticked off their civil servants about security lapses, but now Hazel Blears shows that the rot starts at the top. “This is the third breach of secrecy in a week. The government has to get a grip on the slap-dash culture of sloppiness that threatens national security.” Last week, a senior civil servant was suspended for leaving secret reports on Al-Qaeda on a train; just days after another train passenger handed in the government’s plans to fund anti-terrorism initiatives. Jun 20, 2008 Email this article Printer friendly page Previous Page
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