Hospital patients' safety at risk after data loss

10 May 2010

A USB stick containing the medical records of patients at a secure hospital has been found outside a supermarket.

Ongoing fears over patient safety records will be increased by this latest development after a 12-year boy discovered the unencrypted device in a car park outside an Asda store.

The device contained confidential information about the patients and staff at the secure psychiatric hospital, the Tryst Park Unit at Bellsdyke Hospital in Larbert.

Adults with severe mental health problems receive long-term care at the unit.

Experts have said the latest data loss shows that many organisations are not learning lessons from previous similar incidents over the past 30 months.

The Information Commissioners Office could be informed and asked to investigate the incident.

New powers were introduced earlier this year allowing for maximum fines of up to half a million pounds to be issued to organisations who break data laws.

Copyright © Press Association 2010