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Patients not told about data loss

18/ 1/2008

PERSONAL medical information on about 4,000 Stockport NHS patients has been lost - and they have not been told.

A computer memory `stick' holding the information was lost by an NHS employee who had it clipped on a cord around her neck as she walked to her car.

It held the names, dates of birth and details of medical conditions of patients of Stockport Primary Care Trust as well as their NHS and trust numbers and details of their GPs. The Department of Health and GPs have been told of the blunder - but NOT the patients.

And the trust has also admitted diaries containing patients' names and addresses were stolen from staff cars in two separate incidents in June.

Health bosses decided not to tell patients about the loss because they believe the data could not be used in an identity fraud.

The revelations follow a similar security breach at Oldham PCT involving `sensitive' notes of 145 patients.

Chairman of Stockport PCT patient forum Mike Lappin promised to take up the Stockport issue with trust bosses.
He said: "Those involved should have been told immediately if information about them has gone missing - it is just good manners."

The memory stick contained the details of patients who suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, heart failure, coronary heart disease, diabetes or epilepsy

The employee who lost the stick believes it was dropped between parking the car and arriving at her desk.

Trust chief executive Richard Popplewell said: "Immediate steps were taken to search for the device by retracing the path of the staff member. But it has not been found.

"The loss was an accident rather than any systematic failing in management. Indeed, the security of the information had been considered and the data was being carried personally to avoid being sent by email.

"We advised the affected GP practices of the loss of the data. It is extremely likely that the data was lost in circumstances in which it was irrecoverable and there was a balance to be drawn between being open with patients and on the other hand avoiding unnecessarily upsetting them."

One of the diaries lost in June was recovered by police.

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