NHS Trust ‘to improve security’

The East Cheshire NHS Trust has agreed to boost its security measures after being found to be in breach of the Data Protection Act, in news which may interest HR staff keen to focus on training in such areas.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) discovered the breach after pages from an Accident and Emergency register were located in a garden in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Furthermore, the document was found to contain the personal details of some 60 patients relating to their physical and mental health.

The document was misplaced after the trust moved offices.

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John Wilbraham, chief executive of East Cheshire NHS Trust, said that a written contract will now be in place whenever a third party is involved with work that may allow them to have access to personal information.

Mick Gorrill, assistant information commissioner at the ICO, said: “It is vital that sensitive personal information, such as patient information, is handled securely.”

The news comes as the NHS Information Centre reveals UK medical vacancies are on the rise, for which poor HR planning is thought to be one reason.