Investigation after NHS data breach
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THE Information Commissioner’s Office is investigating a data breach in Halton after a
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A letter sent to patients on behalf of the affected service said records were accessed without authority.
It apologised for any ‘distress’ caused.
A referral has been made to the Information Commissioner’s Office, which is looking into the matter.
No official agencies or the staff member’s employer have confirmed their identity.
The letter said: “As soon as the employer was made aware of the matter, they acted swiftly and as robustly as possible and I can confirm that the employee concerned is no longer in their employment.
“The employee’s actions are considered to be a data breach and an offence under data protection legislation.
“I would like to sincerely apologise for any distress this may have caused and would like to reassure you of the safety and confidentiality of your data.”
A spokeswoman for the affected NHS service said: “We can confirm that unfortunately a data breach did occur which affected 44 patients.
“Upon discovery of the breach, we took immediate action to report the breach as per Data Protection guidelines. We also informed and apologised to all patients affected, made immediate staff changes and improved staff training.
“We would like to sincerely apologise for any distress this may have caused to patients and we would like to reassure all our patients that all patient data is held safely and securely.“
An ICO spokeswoman said: “People have a right to expect that sensitive personal information, such as medical details, are kept private. We are aware of this matter and will be making enquiries.”