Trust censured over patient data

14 Aug 2009

A North West NHS trust has been censured after sensitive patient data was lost during an office move.

It happened after East Cheshire trust hired an external company without a written contract to clear out rubbish from the old premises.

Documents were disposed of in open skips, and the trust failed to react in time to prevent the loss of records concerning the mental health of 60 patients.

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has found that the trust breached the Data Protection Act after pages from an accident-and-emergency register were found in a Newcastle-under-Lyme garden.

Trust chief executive John Wilbraham has now agreed to ensure that written contracts will be agreed with future third-party suppliers stating that personal information must be kept secure.

Staff will also be trained, while any security measures deemed necessary will be implemented to protect data from unauthorised and unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction or damage.