Act now to stop staff snooping on UK medical records, says data regulator

Public trust in the health sector is at risk as staff continue to access private medical records without a legitimate reason, the Information Commission (formerly the Information Commissioner’s Office) has warned.The data protection regulator has urged UK health leaders to “act now” to stop unauthorised accessing of patients’ records, after receiving more than 300 reports of unauthorised access from health sector organisations so far this year. Reports include staff looking at records with no legitimate need, viewing the records of people they know, and sharing information with others, the commission said.In a letter to 200 senior leaders in the health service the Information Commission’s chief executive, Paul Arnold, referenced “numerous recent incidents,” calling them “deeply concerning.” He wrote, “They cause real distress to patients and their families and risk undermining public trust in the confidentiality of health services.”The commission is asking health leaders to personally confirm that their organisations are...