Cork University Maternity Hospital – €65,000 Fine (Ireland, 2020)
General GDPR enforcement action
This case relates to broader data protection obligations, not specifically to cookie or consent banner compliance. It is not included in cookie statistics or the Risk Calculator.
Cork University Maternity Hospital was fined €65,000 for improperly disposing of patient data. Sensitive health information was found in a public recycling center, exposing patient privacy. This incident stresses the need for hospitals to handle patient data securely to prevent breaches.
What happened
Cork University Maternity Hospital disposed of documents containing patient data, including sensitive health information, in a public recycling center.
Who was affected
Patients whose personal and sensitive health data were included in the documents improperly disposed of by Cork University Maternity Hospital.
What the authority found
The Data Protection Commission determined that Cork University Maternity Hospital did not have adequate security measures in place to protect personal data, violating GDPR Articles 5 and 32.
Why this matters
This case highlights the critical importance of secure data handling and disposal practices in healthcare settings. Hospitals must ensure that patient data is protected to avoid breaches and potential fines.
GDPR Articles Cited
The „Data Protection Authority of Ireland“ imposed a fine on Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) after the personal data of 78 patients was discovered disposed of in a public recycling center. Among the documents disposed of, some contain special category personal data of six patients. It is believed that the breach at CUMH involves sensitive patient health data such as the medical history and future planned care programs.
Related Enforcement Actions (0)
No other enforcement actions found for Cork University Maternity Hospital in IE
This is the only recorded action for this entity in this jurisdiction.
Details
Fine Date
18 August 2020
Authority
Data Protection Commission
Fine Amount
€65,000
Enforcement Tracker ID
ETid-449
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. Cork University Maternity Hospital - Ireland (2020). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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