Data investigation raises concerns over privacy in hospitals
A special investigation by the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) into 20 hospitals throughout the State found concerns about the handling of confidential records and a lack of privacy for patients when discussing medical issues.
The investigation was one of several opened last year by commissioner Helen Dixon, whose annual report for 2017 is published on Tuesday.
The special investigation unit also examined governance issues at the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, the Government’s public services card project, and practices in the private investigator sector.
The commissioner received a record number of complaints in 2017 from people concerned about their data protection rights. There were 2,642 complaints in 2017, up from 1,479 the previous year.
The hospitals investigation examined the processing of patients’ sensitive personal data in publicly accessible areas of the facilities.
It concentrated in particular on the circulation and journey of patient files, in order to identify any shortcomings in terms of meeting the requirements of the Data Protection Acts to keep personal data safe and secure and to have appropriate measures in place to prevent unauthorised access to or disclosure of personal data.
Inspections were carried out at HSE facilities, private hospitals and voluntary hospitals to give as broad an insight as possible into the processing of sensitive personal data in public areas of hospitals, the DPC’s annual report for 2017 said.
“On a geographic basis, the hospitals inspected represented a broad sample from across the State, with eight hospitals inspected in the Dublin area, five hospitals inspected in the greater Leinster region, two hospitals inspected in Connacht, four hospitals inspected in Munster and one hospital inspected in Ulster, ” the DPC said.
The 20 hospitals have been asked to draw up action plans to implement the commissioner’s recommendations on areas of risk, and these will be monitored over the following 12 to 18 months.
The special investigation unit, headed by Assistant Data Protection Commissioner Tony Delaney, is currently drawing up an overall inspection report, which will be given to every hospital in the State in the first half of this year.
