Jill Theobald reports:
A health care assistant at Rotherham Hospital is believed to have been suspended after allegedly accessing and disclosing personal patient information to and about family members without authorisation.
The employee reportedly accessed the personal information of several patients and shared it with their family members – a “breach of patient confidentiality which not only violates ethical guidelines but also data protection laws”, according to the person who contacted the Advertiser and who wishes to remain anonymous.
They said: “This alleged incident serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining patient confidentiality in healthcare.
Read more at Rotherham Advertiser.
What the hospital has not revealed clearly is whether the employee had legitimate access to the patient data but then violated confidentiality by sharing that information without consent or whether the employee didn’t even have legitimate purpose in accessing the patient data, in which case, how does the hospital monitor access and prevent unauthorized access?