Nine trusts lose patients' data

Updated 22.40 Sat Dec 22 2007

Keywords: trusts, NHS

Nine NHS trusts have admitted losing information on hundreds of thousands of patients.

City and Hackney Primary Care Trust in London has reportedly lost the details of 160,000 children after a computer disc went missing.

"Investigations are under way in all the trusts involved and action will be taken against anyone who has failed to fulfil their legal responsibilities"

The other trusts involved are Bolton Royal Hospital, Sutton and Merton PCT, Sefton Merseyside PCT, Mid-Essex Care Trust, East and North Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Norwich and Gloucester Partnership Foundation Trust.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells PCT has reported two cases to the Department of Health, meaning that 10 breaches of data protection rules have been disclosed.

NHS chief executive David Nicholson recently wrote to NHS managers reminding them of their responsibilities with regard to data handling.

A DoH spokesperson said: "There is no evidence of any data falling into the wrong hands."

He added: "Investigations are under way in all the trusts involved and action will be taken against anyone who has failed to fulfil their legal responsibilities."

The news comes as HM Revenue and Customs continue to search for two lost computer discs containing the details of 25 million child benefit claimants.