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Duty to protect

Data loss in the NHS is a serious problem, especially thefts of confidential information.

Brighton Hospital is facing a fine for having its hard drives, containing patient records, stolen – even though they were eventually recovered. Is this fair?

It could be argued that Brighton is the victim in this scenario, and as such should not be charged. Then again, some would say that it was the hospital’s responsibility to protect those files, and this theft constitutes a failure to do so.

In an information age, data is of paramount importance, and details of patients’ lives are at a constant risk of such violation. Situations like this indicate that mistakes in this area cannot be accepted.

With all the protection in the world, however, there is still the chance that someone could make such a theft. It all depends on the level of security the hospital provided, and whether this is acceptable in the face of the consequences.

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