THE trust that runs the Royal Free Hospital has been slapped on the wrist by the Information Commissioner after losing confidential details of thousands of patient.
An unencrypted CD initially thought to contain the treatment details of 20,000 patients in the hospital's cardiology department has gone missing.
Since reporting it missing the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust, which runs the hospital in Pond Street, Hampstead, has told the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) that it cannot be sure what it contained.
The ICO has issued a warning to the trust to be more careful with patient records and could take action against it if it fails to do so.
Sally-anne Poole, head of enforcement and investigations at the ICO, said the case serves as a reminder to all NHS organisations that sensitive patient information is not always being handled with adequate security.
She said: "It is important that staff adhere to policies designed to protect individuals’ sensitive information.
"Failure to do so could result in patient information, including sensitive medical records and treatment details falling into the wrong hands."
More to follow
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