Our data protection and privacy team are representing a number of claimants in claims for compensation against various NHS Trusts following their breaches of data protection legislation.
What happened?
In the last month or so, we have received a number of enquiries from people who have received letters from their local NHS Trust confirming either that their data had been accessed or ‘misplaced’. Details included their names, addresses and in some cases extracts from their medical history. We understand that thousands of patients are affected, with a variety of trusts being involved in different data breaches.
The consequences
The full extent of these data breaches may not be known for some months. In the case of one Trust, it has been reported that criminal investigations are currently underway and it is believed that data was accessed over a period of 18 months. In respect of another, whilst families have been told that their data has been lost and an internal investigation is underway, it remains unclear as to how the breach occurred and how widely these personal and sensitive details may now be available.
What can I do?
We already represent a number of clients involved and the continued events raise clear concerns on the information security practices and procedures currently in operation by the NHS.
If these circumstances sound familiar, our specialist data protection and privacy team can help. We are experienced in advising individuals on their rights relating to data loss and pursuing civil claims for the victims of data protection breaches. The Data Protection Act 2018 protects against the wrongful processing of personal data and compensation can be awarded to you for any loss and distress you experience as a result of the data breach.
If you wish to speak to somebody today, please call 01616 966 229.
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