Call for NHS data scrutiny after hacking
A SOUTHPORT health watchdog has asked the Information Commissioners to look into issues of National Health Service data management which have been revealed in the recent malware attack.
Cllr Tony Dawson, who leads the Southport contingency on the local Health & Adult Care Scrutiny Committee, said it is possible that the this attack may have done the NHS a favour.
He said: “This was a fairly small and simple attack and relatively easy to address. Had the cyber bullies been just a little more sophisticated they could have done untold damage.
“As it is, they have forced the NHS nationally to take a serious look at how they allow our precious personal data to be maintained by a thousand and one bodies on different systems with different security.
“It is more than likely that a whole host of other government systems will be found to be vulnerable to cyber attacks, paralysis, destruction or ransom because of the obsession with privatisation and politicians relentless shirking of central responsibility for all sorts of government functions.’’
Cllr Dawson added: “I have written to the Information Commissioner’s Office, asking if they will consider conducting an inquiry into the systems which the National Health Service nationally permits to govern the maintenance and retrieval of personal data within NHS Trusts, GPs etc.
“The irony is that overall this will probably have cost the NHS massively more than a central- ised security contract, properly administered would have done.”