A hospital trust has admitted losing the personal details of hundreds of patients, including new mothers and children.
The security breach at South London Healthcare NHS Trust was condemned by the data watchdog. It is the latest in a series of health service blunders involving sensitive patient details.
The new case involved four breaches — including the loss of two memory sticks belonging to staff at the trust, which runs Princess Royal Hospital in Farnborough, Queen Mary’s in Sidcup, and Queen Elizabeth in Woolwich.
In the first, an employee downloaded information involving 600 maternity patients on to an unprotected memory stick to take home.
The second related to a device containing the names and birth dates of 30 children, as well as medical reports on a further three youngsters.
Both sticks were later found but the Information Commissioner said patient data was put at “unnecessary risk”.
On another occasion, a junior doctor left ward lists — containing names, birth dates, diagnoses, treatment plans and test results of 122 patients — in a grocery.
Staff also failed to lock away genito-urinary clinic outpatient files when they were not in use, although they were stored in secure areas. The data protection breaches between July 2010 and September last year were criticised by the Information Commissioner, who can impose fines of up to £500,000.
The trust was told to ensure portable devices that store personal data, such as laptops, are security-protected.
South London Healthcare’s chief executive Chris Streather has signed an undertaking that it will take steps to prevent blunders in the future.
A trust spokesman said: “We have implemented a range of measures. They include ensuring USB sticks are encrypted. We also continue to focus on improving training for staff.”
Trusts must declare serious breaches of patient data confidentiality. Figures last year from 30 trusts showed there were a total of 909 cases at London hospitals between 2008 and 2011.
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