Data Loss Epidemic Spreads to Newport GP

10.17.53am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 14th Dec 2007

Details of up to 3,000 NHS patients have been stolen from a Welsh doctors' surgery. A laptop containing patients' names, addresses, dates of birth and phone numbers was taken from the surgery in Newport over a month ago on 5th November.

Welsh Lib Health Spokesperson Jenny Randerson AM said "I was shocked to learn that people whose data was lost were not told for five weeks. People need to be told as soon as possible that their data is possibly open to abuse.

"The public's trust in the safekeeping of their data is badly damaged. The UK government claimed that there was no way benefits data could fall into the wrong hands yet they are offering a £20,000 reward for the discs recovery.

"An investigation is needed into the Newport incident as well as a high level review of the protection and storage of data. This review should result in binding guidelines for the public sector.

"There seems to have been a laissez-faire culture in the arena of public data created by this Labour Government. Next they will be telling us that there won't be any problems with ID cards."

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