- Enforcing jurisdiction
- United Kingdom · Geography does not establish applicable law.
- Confirmed applicable legislation
- No confirmed legal basis recorded.
- Privacy topics
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust – Reprimand (United Kingdom, 2022)
Privacy enforcement record
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Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust saved sensitive hysteroscopy scans on USB sticks for nine years, but two of these sticks became inaccessible. It's unclear if this was due to a technical issue or human error. This situation raises concerns about how healthcare organizations handle and secure patient data.
What happened
Hysteroscopy scans were saved on USB sticks, with two becoming inaccessible after nine years.
Who was affected
Patients whose hysteroscopy scans were stored on the USB sticks.
What the authority found
The Information Commissioner's Office issued a reprimand due to the lack of clarity surrounding the data's security and accessibility.
Why this matters
This case highlights the need for healthcare providers to implement better data storage and security measures. Organizations must ensure that patient data is not only stored securely but also remains accessible when needed.
Source checks
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Hysteroscopy scans were saved on to a series of three USB sticks over a period of nine years from May 2013 until the remaining two encrypted USB sticks became inaccessible on 5 April 2018. It is unknown whether this inaccessibility was as a result of a technical failure of the USBs or human error from inputting the wrong password.
Outcome
Reprimand
A formal reprimand: the DPA found a violation and issued a formal censure.
Related Enforcement Actions (0)
No other enforcement actions found for Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust in UK
This is the only recorded action for this entity in this jurisdiction.
Details
Decision Date
10 November 2022
Authority
Information Commissioner's Office
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust - United Kingdom (2022). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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