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NHS 'can be trusted' over records NHS 'can be trusted' over records
(about 2 hours later)
The NHS can be trusted to handle patient information despite the loss of 168,000 patient records by nine trusts, its chief executive has said. The NHS can be trusted to handle patient records despite the loss of thousands of personal details, the boss of the health service says.
The Tories want a planned database of 50m patient records to be reconsidered. The Tories and Lib Dems want a planned database of 50m patient records in England to be reconsidered.
But David Nicholson said health workers took the situation "very seriously" and that the proposed system would be more secure than internet banking services. But NHS chief executive David Nicholson said the losses were taken seriously and the new e-records system would be more secure than internet banking.
The NHS losses emerged through checks ordered after the loss of 25m child benefit claimants' details in November. Eight trusts are reported to have lost 168,000 patient details in total.
The losses emerged through checks ordered after the loss of 25m child benefit claimants' details in November.
'High security''High security'
Mr Nicholson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "One of the things that has been at the front of our minds in relation to all of this is what our patients need and what our patients want. Mr Nicholson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I can absolutely assure you that clinicians, professionals and people like myself take this sort of thing very seriously."
"It's vitally important that when a doctor or a clinician sits in front of a patient they have all the information that they need at their fingertips. He said the level of security for the proposed new database system - part of the £12bn upgrade of the NHS IT system - would be way beyond, for example, the level currently in internet banking.
NINE TRUSTS INVOLVED City and Hackney Bolton Royal Hospital Sutton and Merton Sefton Merseyside Mid-Essex Care Trust Norfolk and Norwich Gloucester Partnership Foundation TrustMaidstone and Tunbridge Wells East and North Hertfordshire Health board lost records
"It's really important for us to have the confidence of the public when we do this sort of thing.
"I can absolutely assure you that clinicians, professionals and people like myself take this sort of thing very seriously."
Mr Nicholson said the level of security for the proposed new database system would be way beyond, for example, the level currently in internet banking.
"This is a very high level of security. There isn't going to be a huge national database," he said."This is a very high level of security. There isn't going to be a huge national database," he said.
EIGHT TRUSTS INVOLVED City and Hackney Bolton Royal Hospital Sutton and Merton Mid-Essex Care Trust Norfolk and Norwich Gloucester Partnership Foundation TrustMaidstone and Tunbridge Wells East and North Hertfordshire Health board lost records
"What we're talking about is a series of regional databases that are connected together.""What we're talking about is a series of regional databases that are connected together."
'Further steps' But the e-records database will still mean patient details can be accessed anywhere in the country by NHS staff with the access rights.
Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said the data loss was further evidence of the government's failure to protect personal information.Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said the data loss was further evidence of the government's failure to protect personal information.
"We will need further steps on the part of the Department of Health to show how their planned electronic patients' database will protect our medical records," he said."We will need further steps on the part of the Department of Health to show how their planned electronic patients' database will protect our medical records," he said.
Health minister Dawn Primarolo said: "What it is really important to stress is how important patient security and confidentiality is and how each of these trusts is moving to deal with this." And Lib Dem health spokesman Norman Lamb said spending on e-records should be suspended.
BBC News political correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti said Mr Nicholson was saying the government's plans for a national database were not what the Conservatives were saying it was. He added: "The loss of hundreds of thousands of patient records, highlights the dangers of centralising patient data."
A series of regional databases linked together did not sound all that different from what the Tories were themselves suggesting, she added.
The DoH indicated the episode would not prevent plans for a national patient database - part of the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) - from going ahead.
'Wrong hands''Wrong hands'
The DoH confirmed that one of the breaches involved the clinical details of 160,000 children by City and Hackney Primary Care Trust, after a computer disc failed to arrive at its destination at St Leonard's Hospital in east London. But the government indicated the latest episode would not prevent plans for the national patient database from going ahead.
The DoH believed an additional 8,000 patients may have been affected but only a small proportion involved some clinical data. The Department of Health confirmed that one of the breaches involved the clinical details of 160,000 children by City and Hackney Primary Care Trust, after a computer disc failed to arrive at its destination at St Leonard's Hospital in east London.
A spokesman said: "There is no evidence that this has fallen into the wrong hands." It also said an additional 8,000 patients may have been affected but only a small proportion involved some clinical data.
The other trusts involved are Bolton Royal Hospital, Sutton and Merton PCT, Sefton Merseyside PCT, Mid-Essex Care Trust, and Norfolk and Norwich. A spokesman added: "There is no evidence that this has fallen into the wrong hands."
The other trusts involved are Bolton Royal Hospital, Sutton and Merton PCT, Mid-Essex Care Trust, and Norfolk and Norwich.
The East and North Hertfordshire PCT reported a loss but has since found its missing data.The East and North Hertfordshire PCT reported a loss but has since found its missing data.
Laptop computers
A further disc, lost by Gloucester Partnership Foundation Trust, consisted of archive records relating to patients treated 40 years ago - none of whom is still alive.A further disc, lost by Gloucester Partnership Foundation Trust, consisted of archive records relating to patients treated 40 years ago - none of whom is still alive.
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust has reported two breaches - meaning that 10 cases have occurred in total. Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust has reported two breaches - meaning that 9 cases have occurred in total.
The losses involved data stored on laptop computers and data sticks.The losses involved data stored on laptop computers and data sticks.
A ninth trust was also reported over the weekend to have lost patient data, but the government has now confirmed that this involved staff details.
It has also emerged that NHS Grampian health board has lost patient records eight times in the last five years.It has also emerged that NHS Grampian health board has lost patient records eight times in the last five years.
A week ago it was revealed the details of three million learner drivers had been lost after being sent to the US.A week ago it was revealed the details of three million learner drivers had been lost after being sent to the US.