Sensitive data lost by local officials
HIGHLY sensitive child protection papers are among scores of documents and computer records lost by Westcountry officials in the past three years.
The child protection case minutes – from meetings between social services, healthcare providers and the police – were lost by Devon Primary Care Trust in December last year.
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It admitted the blunder – and 10 others – after a Freedom of Information Act request from the Western Morning News. It said the documents were sent in the post to social services but were never received.
Dr Virginia Pearson, director of public health at Devon Primary Care Trust, said: “The incident you refer to resulted in all staff being reminded of correct trust policies relating to safe procedures when sending patient information by post.
“Paper medical records must be sent by courier or Royal Mail special delivery service with track and trace and proof of delivery.
“We also have guidance on the use of courier services which includes the need to have any electronic data file created by an authorised person and encrypted in accordance with Department of Health guidelines. Should data be transferred on to a data memory stick, it is trust policy that encryptable memory sticks issued by the trust must be used at all times.”
In May 2007, an inadequately protected laptop computer was stolen from NHS premises in Truro. It contained data of employees of the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust, and Cornwall Partnership Trust.
In all, the records of 10,000 staff were exposed including their names, addresses, National Insurance numbers and bank details.
No incidents were recorded by any of the region’s 15 districts councils which deal with sensitive issues like council tax collection and housing.
Cornwall County Council revealed that there had been 20 incidents where birth, death or marriage certificates had been lost in the post.
In October 2007, two boxes of documents were recalled from a storage centre and did not arrive. It was discovered they had been delivered in error to a destruction facility, where they were securely destroyed.
Two months later, a box of documents was lost while being transferred to storage. Ironically, the paperwork related to Freedom of Information Act requests.
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by Don Trustus, House of Commons
Thursday, December 25 2008, 9:08PM
“Ladies and Gentlemen you've got us all wrong...we know perfectly what we're doing...no one has ever left a set of sensitive details on a train...the DVLA isn't really allowed to sell your details to clampers, discs with banking details are never lost...people are always held accountable when they do it get it wrong and where the scandal is deep enough the minister in charge will always fall on his sword. The same government that invaded a sovereign state on the stance that they had non existent wmd, and recently sacked a teacher who told his class that Father Christmas didn't really exist. All under control.”
by O.J.Simpson, US Prison, Las Vegas
Wednesday, December 24 2008, 6:55AM
“I also agree with Colin and the B 6.
Ok they got me the second time, but who had the last laugh initially”
by The Birmingham Six, Northern Ireland
Wednesday, December 24 2008, 6:43AM
“We agree with Colin.”
by Colin Stagg, Wimbledon Common
Wednesday, December 24 2008, 6:41AM
“I agree with William.
Give the police unlimited powers, they never abuse them and they never make mistakes.”
by eric, stoke
Tuesday, December 23 2008, 11:32PM
“coppers used to say there is no such thing as coincedence ... perhaps they should start adding irony to the list .. everything else gets delivered except stuff like this !!!!!!”
by eric, stoke
Tuesday, December 23 2008, 9:20PM
“William ... good wind up mate .. remember as ai said earlier .. all these wars and precautions being took to make us more free... brilliant double talk by the government - the same government that have bought nearly 4000 ( yes four thousnd ) new laws into force since you elected them ... check some of them out .”
by eric, stoke
Tuesday, December 23 2008, 9:12PM
“Keith , my apologies ... after reading it again a few times I understood your point ... sorry ...”
by Maurice Mynaw, The State
Tuesday, December 23 2008, 8:04PM
“Why on earth should the should the planning office of the council be entitled to know that I had a dose of something nasty in 1958, (I haven't by the way...it was 1956)? What is to the recycling office that I'm a touch over weight? And even if we're all niave enough to believe that all of our data is going to be used honestly, do you trust this administration to keep it safely?
We're all so used now to being bullied into giving up data it's second nature. How many times have you phoned a service, or bought a product, only to have the first words uttered to you 'Can I just take your postcode and the first line of your address?' 'Your daytime phone number?' You try telling someone that you're not on the phone or you don't have a mobile and they look at you as though you said you like to walk on water to relax at the weekends. Wake up ladies and gentlemen, big brother isn't just a naff TV program...”
by Harry Blackmaskers, Plymouth
Tuesday, December 23 2008, 7:52PM
“William
I just wonder if you've got frosted glass in your bathroom. If so you must be doing something illegal in there or you'd let anyone see.”
by William, Manor Park
Tuesday, December 23 2008, 7:44PM
“The only people who shy away from ID/universal DNA etc are those who want to be sneaky. The rest of us have got no worries at all.”