A laptop containing the records of more than 5,000 NHS
patients has been stolen from an hospital outpatient clinic in the
Midlands.
The theft took place at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley. The
theft has only just come to light, although the laptop went missing
on 8 January.
The hospital said the machine had the clinical records of
anticoagulation patients on it. The records are said to be password
protected, and a separate hospital log-in and password is required
to operate the laptop, said the hospital.
West Midlands Police is investigating the theft. Patients have
received a letter from the hospital warning them about the loss of
their personal details.
The clinic is part of the Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust.
The Trust last year said it was investing £135,000 in new data
encryption software, but it is not believed this system had reached
the stolen machine yet.
The Dudley theft follows a series of
reported incidents across the NHS, involving stolen and lost
laptops and
memory sticks over the last 12 months.