Patient record memory stick reported to be 'found in car park'

"THE importance of security when dealing with patient records was highlighted this week when a device with private details of hundreds of patients was found in a car park.

It contained the medical and personal data of diabetic patients who were taking part in a trial for the newly re-launched Greater Manchester diabetic screening scheme which had apparently been lost by a local practice.

The computer memory stick detailed the names, addresses, dates of birth, telephone numbers and medical conditions of over 340 patients from Specsavers Opticians in Wythenshawe, reported the Manchester Evening News, (January 23).

The screening scheme, which was launched by Coronation Street star Sue Clever last month, is run by Greater Manchester primary care trusts and aims to get patients to have an annual eye examination. However, the organisers of the scheme emphasised that this loss of the trial’s data from a single practice was not a reflection on the way that the scheme stores its patient data.

Staff at Specsavers were unaware that the device was missing until it was handed into the paper, the Manchester Evening News reported.

Student Karen Hewitt found the device in a car park behind Stockport shopping centre last year but she forgot that she had it until she read about the newly published data loss scandals.

Anthony Showman, director at Specsavers in Wythenshawe, told the paper: “We are launching an immediate internal investigation to try to ascertain how this information could have come into the public domain.

“We would like to reassure all our customers that Specsavers patient records are kept confidential and are 100% secure at all times and that these records were part of the Manchester diabetic screening scheme, not Specsavers’ customer records.”

Manchester Primary Care Trust will also be conducting a full investigation."