The medical records of tens of thousands of patients have been lost in Britain in a number of serious security breaches by the National Health Service. Between January and April this year, there were over 140 such failures, more than in all central government departments and local governments together.

According to Information Commissioner Richard Thomas, what happened endangers the sacrosanct principle of doctor-patient confidentiality. Thomas has called for an urgent reform in data security of the British health system, attributing such data leaks to the unprofessional and casual attitude of employees of the National Health Service across the country.

The Information Commissioner will appoint a team of inspectors to examine how to protect the medical records of patients, hospitals, and healthcare staff. The Department of Health has issued an urgent appeal to the heads of British hospitals to remedy security breaches committed by doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.

There is now a plan to transfer to a central database all information on patients in the UK to facilitate processing especially in emergencies, but patients are increasingly concerned about the issue of confidentiality.

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Via Telegraph.co.uk