Woman has her medical records unlawfully accessed by her ex
As our health and social care system becomes digital, it is vital that there are adequate, robust secure data protections inplace. And that healthcare staff have the knowledge and ability to handle our information securely.
In a recent case, we saw the impact of what can happen when an employee accessed the medical records of his ex to get hold of her personal information.
What happened in this case?
In this case, our client was informed by a mutual friend that her ex-partner had unlawfully accessed her medical records. He could do this because a local NHS Trust employed him.
Our client complained to the Trust about the lack of secure data protections, and it admitted the data breach.
The breach revealed our client's home address and contact details to her ex-partner. He was also able to establish every occasion that our client had received or been discharged from services provided by the NHS Trust.
As a direct result of this data breach, our client suffered significant stress and anxiety due to the fact that the information was distributed amongst numerous other people.
Turning to Hayes Connor Solicitors for help we were able to secure damages of £3,500. In response, our client has provided some lovely feedback describing her experience with Hayes Connor solicitor James Kelliher:
"Would like to say the service I experienced was 110% all the way through thanks to James. I'm glad I found his service on the internet and rang ASAP for help with my data breach claim. If anyone has any doubts or worries about data breach then James is the one to help you. I appreciate what he's done for me so very much. Fast and very friendly service and can't speak more highly of him. Once again thank you James."
Lessons learned about secure data protections
The healthcare sector handles some of our most sensitive personal data, and, as patients, we have the right to expect this will be looked after. However, all too often this isn't the case.
Hospitals and other healthcare organisations need to do more to protect sensitive patient data. It is vital that there are adequate and robust protections in place to secure patient information and to ensure that it is only accessed by those people who need it to ensure the provision of medical care and support.
Not just hackers
At Hayes Connor, we want to reduce the number of data violations taking place across the UK. To do this, we are sharing such real-life examples of data breaches to raise awareness of this issue and educate people to prevent similar mistakes from happening. This includes tips on establishing secure data protections.
For more advice on how to keep your data safe, follow our #NotJustHackers campaign on Twitter and Facebook.
Alternatively, if you have been the victim of a data breach or cyber fraud, find out how we can help you to recover any losses. Or give us a call on 0151 363 5895 to discuss your case in more depth.