- Enforcing jurisdiction
- Sweden · Geography does not establish applicable law.
- Confirmed applicable legislation
- Privacy topics
Styrelsen för Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset – €352,000 Fine (Sweden, 2020)
Privacy enforcement record
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Karolinska University Hospital was fined SEK 4,000,000 (approximately EUR 352,000) for allowing too many staff to access patient records unnecessarily. This is significant because it shows that hospitals must limit access to sensitive data to protect patient privacy.
What happened
Karolinska University Hospital failed to restrict access to patient journals based on the necessity of the healthcare personnel's work.
Who was affected
Patients whose medical records were accessible to more staff than necessary.
What the authority found
The Swedish DPA ruled that the hospital did not take appropriate measures to limit access to personal data as required by GDPR.
Why this matters
This ruling emphasizes the need for healthcare institutions to implement strict access controls to safeguard patient information.
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Review needed — 6 March 2026.
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The Karolinska University Hospital gave the healthcare personnel different access to patient journals based on whether they were doctors or nurses. Thus, this system enabled access to almost all the medical care records regardless of necessity. Had the Karolinska University Hospital taken organisational measures to limit access to personal data in the medical record system, under Article 32 GDPR? The DPA held that the Karolinska University Hospital had not restricted access to patient journals based on a necessity for performing the individual healthcare personnel’s work. The hospital had thus not taken appropriate organisational measures under Article 5(1) and 32 GDPR to limit access to personal data. The hospital had therefore also failed to ensure appropriate security for personal data under Article 5(2) GDPR.
Related Enforcement Actions (0)
No other enforcement actions found for Styrelsen för Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset in SE
This is the only recorded action for this entity in this jurisdiction.
Details
Fine Date
2 December 2020
Authority
DPA Datainspektionen
Fine Amount
€352,000
4,000,000 SEK
GDPRhub ID
gdprhub-2981About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. Styrelsen för Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset - Sweden (2020). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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